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IN  THE  TORRID  SUDAN 


I'HK    ■•' TA-NKlIKSf       :     rill-.    (Ol  Nl'in     OK    Till'.     IU..\(  KS. 


Frontisi'iiece. 


IN    THE    TORRID 
SUDAN 


BY  H.  LINCOLN  TANGYE,  F.R.G.S. 

AUTHOR    OF    '  IN    NEW    SOUTH    AFRICA  ' 


WITH  MAPS  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS 


BOSTON 

RICHARD  G.  BADGER 

THE  GORHAM  PRESS 
19IO 


■^  185  So 


Printed  in  Great  Britain 


TO 
ANNIE   GILZEAN   TANGYE 


PREFACE 

Beyond  the  recollection  of  the  Dervish  revolt,  the 
death  of  Gordon,  and  Kitchener's  triumph,  the  name 
Sudan  conveys  but  little  impression  to  many  who 
have  not  the  opportunity  of  personally  visiting  the 
regions  included  under  that  name. 

While  the  bibliography  of  the  country  is  con- 
siderable, with  little  exception  it  was  to  a  great 
extent  merely  exploratory  and  speculative  until 
Count  Gleichen  put  on  record  an  immense  amount 
of  the  detailed  observations  of  various  experts, 
and,  more  recently,  Dr.  Wallis  Budge,  with  his 
great  fund  of  accumulated  knowledge  and  personal 
research,  compiled  two  large  historical  volumes  of 
absorbing  interest.  The  labours  of  the  Wellcome 
Research  Laboratories  have  also  added  considerably 
to  scientific  information  as  to  the  conditions  of  the 
country  and  people,  and  Sir  Harry  Johnston  has 
contributed  important  studies.  I  have  referred 
freely  to  these  various  works,  and  have  had  the 
opportunity  of  converse  with  various  authorities 
resident  in  the  country. 

The  aim  of  the  following  pages  is  to  show  the 
Sudan,  or  some  portions  of  it,  as  it  appears  to  the 

vii 


viii  PREFACE 

present-day  observer,  to  the  student  of  mankind 

and    the   lover   of    Nature,   Hving    and    still ;    to 

describe  the  amenities  of  sport  and  travel  in  widely 

separated  districts  amongst  varied  peoples,  one  of 

which  was  new  in  submission  to  the  white  man ; 

with  a  concise  review  of  sociological  conditions  and 

of  a  history  which  is  more  or  less  unknown  to  the 

multitude. 

H.  LINCOLN  TANGYE. 

Maxstoke  Castle, 

Warwickshire. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I 

FAOB 

INTRODUCTORY'    -  -  -  -  -  -  1 


CHAPTER  H 

PAST   AGES    OF    CONQUEST  -  -  -  -  11 

CHAPTER  III 

IN    A    LAND    DESERTED     -  -  -  -  -  34 

CHAPTER  IV 

SPOKI    BY    THE    RIVER       -  -  -  -  -  56 

CHAPTER  V 

WILD    LIFE    AMONGST    BEASTIES     -  -  -  -  88 

CHAPTER  VI 

THE    ABYSSINIAN    FRONTIER  -  -  -  -       116 

CHAPTER  VII 

FROM    DINDER,    AND    NILE    TO    NILE  -  -  -       129 

CHAPTER  VIII 

MAN    IN    THE    SUDAN         -----       147 


X  CONTENTS 

CHAl^^ER  IX 

TO    THE    LAND    OF    THE    XEGROID 


PAGE 

156 


CHAPTER  X 

THE    "  CREWE   JUNCTION  "    OF   THE    NILE  -  -  -       191 

CHAPTER  XI 

THE   TASK    OF    ADMINISTRATION    -  -  -  -       212 

CHAPTER  XII 

WHERE    LIVES    PRIMITIVE    MAN      -  -  -  -       228 

CHAPTER  XIII 

"  AHAI    OW    MAZADA  !"    -  -  -  -  -       265 


INDEX  - 


291 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


FACING    PAGE 


1. 

2. 
3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

10. 

11. 

12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 

16. 

17. 

18. 


THE  "ta-nehesu":  the  country  of  the  blacks        froiitis:piece 

BUZ    NYAL    LEADS    A    FEMALE    CHOIR    (see  Jt-  274)     - 

jVHlhM  :    AN    IMMEMORIAL    FRONTIER    POST 
(lagoon    in    THE    " SUDD  " 

Jgebel  kordi  :  a  typical  hill  350  feet  high 

\tHE    blue    NILE    AT    SINGA 

fsUDAN    residences  :    OLD    AND    NEW    STYLE 
\  FIRST    SIGHT    OF    THE    DINDER  :    KHAMISA 

JCROSSING    THE    KHOR    AGALIIN      - 
\a   giant  TEBELDI-TREE 

/retrieving   THE    HIPPO 
\nOOSING    a    WOUNDED    HIPPO 

Jthe  hippo  ashore        -  -  -  . 

\  ready  to  be  cut  up  - 

/hippo  meat  drying     -  -  -  - 

( reed-buck  and  white-barked  acacia 

/junction    of    THE    KHOR    GALEGU    WITH    THE    DINDER 
\caMP    on   THE    DINDER    -  -  -  - 

/flight    of    DHURRA    birds    on    THE    DINDER 
\WATERBUCK    AT    KHOR-UM-ASAL 

A    MIDDAY    HALT  :    THE    SINGING    OF    IBRAHIm's    ASS 

/across    the    BLUE    NILE    FROM    ROSEIRES 
\halt  at  GEBEL  MAGANOU 

BERTA   throwing-knife                _                .  .           page 

/hut-making    AT    GEBEL    AGADI     -                  -  - 
\ APPROACHING    GEBEL   GULE              ... 

/far    UP   THE    MOUNTAIN    NILE      -                  -  - 

(a    GOVERNMENT    STEAMER    CLEARING    THE  "  SUDD  " 

/the    ASH-COVERED    NEGROID    AT    RENK      - 

(the    "  CROC  "    THAT    GOT    INTO    TROUBLE 

/an    ARAB    DILUKA  -  -  .  .  -^ 

(native    CANOES    CARRYING    DHURRA  '  "  "/ 


16 
26 

S6 

40 

46 

62 

68 

74 

84 

108 
120 
132 
138 
142 

152 

160 

164 


xii  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


19. 

20. 
21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 


Ja  si 

\SHII 


(a  wood  station  .... 

\ FASHODA    (koDOk)  .  -  .  . 

shilluk  beau  .  .  .  - 

lluks  levelling  old  earthworks  - 

j  belgian  post  at  lado  ... 

\  belgian  post  at  kiro  ... 

/"nile  fish  at  fashoda-  ... 

\nuer  fishing  village,  (a.  w.  stokes.) 

/difficulties    of    THE    MARCH.       (K.  C.  P.  STRUVE.) 

\  primitive  youth  .  .  .  - 

Jtrees  broken  by  elephants:  belal  and  faragallah)   g^ 
\nuer  paddling  canoe 
25.     a  gathering  on  the  zeraf    - 

_/.    Jgroup  of  nuers  .  -  -  - 

\mary  jane  and  her  kitchen 

^_     Tdinka  cattle  "  morah,"  near  bor.     (a.  w.  stokes.) 
27.  -(  )> 

\"meshra,     hippo  pits,  and  ajiung  village  - 

/embarking  cattle  at  kwoin.     (k.  c.  p.  STRUVE.) 
'  \dhurra  being  removed  by  canoe 

„    /a  nuer  village 

\faragallah  and  his  lady  friends     - 

j  crushing  dhurra  :  woman's  hard  work 
\ beauty  and  the  beast 

.'a   nuer  giant-  .... 

'     a  nuer  dancing  lesson  and  the  "  band  "     - 


{ 
( 

(A    FAVOl 
\"  GOOD- 


/IVORY    ARMLETS    AND    NUER    CURRENCY 
■     I  buz    NYAL    DISCUSSES    THE    PRESENTS 


AVOURITE    ATTITUDE 
BYE  !"   - 


MAP    OF    THE    PROVINCE    OF    THE    SUDAN 


FACING 

PAOB 

:} 

170 

-) 

174 

-J 

:} 

178 

:} 

182 

:} 

198 

.ah) 

208 

-/ 

- 

222 

:} 

234 

'■) 

242 

-i 

246 

-J 

254 

-J 

262 

-1 
-/ 

270 

-1 

276 

:} 

284 

-   a 

t  end 

IN  THE  TORRID  SUDAN 


CHAPTER  I 

INTRODUCTORY 

Well  on  to  two  decades  ago  it  was  my  fortune, 
after  much  wandering  in  "  New  South  Africa  " — 
or  what  then  was  the  "  newest "  South  Afi-ica — to 
write  on  the  manifold  problems  which  at  that  time 
confronted  the  student  and  politician  there,  and  to 
hazard  a  conjecture  as  to  their  ultimate  solution 
which,  sooner  than  even  the  most  sanguine,  and 
more  satisfactorily  than  the  most  optimistic  could 
have  possibly  ventured  to  hope  for,  has  in  this  year 
come  to  pass. 

The  uniting  of  the  "  States  of  South  Africa  "  has 
become  an  accomplished  fact.  The  mutual  respect 
caused  by  the  demonstration  to  each  combatant  of 
the  sterling  qualities  of  the  other  was  born  during 
a  period  of  three  years'  warfare  which  put  to  the 
test  every  attribute  of  manhood  on  either  side,  and 
formed  the  basis  for  a  junction  of  interests.  But 
more  than  this  :  with  the  removal  of  irreconcilable 
and  unstatesmanlike  factors — both  Boer  and  British 

1 


2  INTRODUCTORY 

— a  condition  of  harmony  and  peace  has  been  evolved 
which  promises  well  for  the  future  of  a  confederation 
which  has  already  given  evidences  that  it  is  proud 
of  its  loyalty  to  the  Empire  of  which  it  now  forms 
no  mean  a  portion. 

At  the  time  when  gloom  and  uncertainty  reigned 
in  South  Africa,  the  intermediate  regions  were 
peopled  by  hordes  but  incompletely  brought  under 
the  influence  of  civilization,  while  chaos  and  bar- 
barism were  supreme  in  the  far  north  beyond  the 
Great  Lakes. 

The  "  Ta-Nehesu,"  the  "  Sudan,"  the  "  Country 
of  the  Blacks,"  as  it  has  been  known  from  time  im- 
memorial, was,  for  not  by  any  means  the  first  time 
in  its  history,  in  the  throes  of  a  desperate  revolt 
against  advancing  civilization,  decimating  and  almost 
destroying  itself  in  the  process. 

When  that  civilization  is  in  itself  half  barbaric, 
when  religious  sentiment  comes  to  the  aid  of  resent- 
ment, and  the  crude,  selfish  instincts  of  primitive 
man  are  let  loose,  then  are  developed  the  moral 
conditions  essential  as  a  foundation  for  reactionary 
success. 

All  these  conditions  existed  when  the  Mahdi 
arose  and  headed  the  Arab  revolt.  The  civilization 
of  the  Egyptian  Government  was  for  the  most  part 
veneer  and  covered  the  vilest  abuses ;  men's  minds 
became  receptive  of  extraordinary  ideas  and  beliefs, 
to  a  great  extent  adapted  to  their  political  aims, 
and  the  ferocity  of  unhampered  savagedom  supplied 
the  last  factor. 


THE  REIGN  OF  TERROR  3 

The  true  civilization  came  too  late  on  the  scene. 
Its  spasmodic  efforts  had  been  stemmed  by  the 
dead-weight  of  vested  interests  in  Cairo  and 
Khartoum  ;  Great  Britain  would  not  move,  being 
jealously  watched  by  the  Powers  and  fearful  of  the 
magnitude  of  the  task  as  compared  with  the 
apparent  ultimate  gain ;  Gordon  had  died  after 
being  sent  to  Khartoum  to  retire  the  alien  civilians 
and  garrisons  ;  and  not  until  dreadful  developments 
had  ensued  was  it  thoroughly  realized  that  the 
alternatives  had  been  civilization  or  virulent  bar- 
barism, and  that  barbarism  triumphantly  menaced  a 
continent. 

When  a  people's  nerves  get  out  of  joint,  the  very 
violence  of  the  cataclysm  leads  to  a  cure  through 
sheer  self-exhaustion.  This  was  the  case  in  the 
great  revolution  of  France,  when,  though  so  many 
innocent  suffered,  the  bad  also  turned  upon  bad  to 
the  community's  purification.  So  also  in  the 
Dervish  Sudan,  more  or  less  honest  ideals  dete- 
riorated on  achievement  of  victory,  or  the  need  of 
the  mask  was  lost  sight  of;  Arab  fell  upon  Arab 
while  the  slow  insistence  of  an  inexorable  wave 
gathered  strength  in  the  north.  Murder  and  exter- 
mination, vice  and  corruption,  did  their  work,  and 
while  the  warlike  qualities  of  the  people,  their 
faith  in  the  Khalifa  as  a  soldier,  and  their  hatred  of 
the  Christian,  sufficed  to  give  cohesion  to  many, 
their  numbers  were  not  as  before,  neither  was  the 
vigour  of  their  fanaticism  so  overwhelming  nor  the 
power  of  resistance  so  great. 

]_2 


4  INTRODUCTORY 

So  the  cloud  of  misrule  was  dispersed  ;  on  every 
artery,  at  the  seat  of  each  nerve,  came  the  grasp  of 
the  white  man,  who  rules  for  his  people  and  not  for 
himself,  and  whose  endeavours  are  devoted  to 
making  his  people  peaceful,  contented,  prosperous, 
developing  them  materially  and  mentally. 

How  different  the  conditions  in  the  Sudan  to 
those  in  most  parts  of  South  Africa  I  Yet  they  have 
to  some  extent  their  parallel.  Few  would  say  that 
the  Sudan  is  a  territory  which  a  white  man,  barring 
the  misanthrope,  would  wish  to  make  the  home  of 
his  lifetime.  But  the  same  might  be  urged  of  the 
Karroo,  which  is  not  obviously  interesting.  The 
most  important  factor  is  the  climate,  for  few  places 
are  free  from  malaria,  and  there  is  not  generally  the 
range  of  altitude  which  is  a  boon  to  South  Africa. 

Moreover,  the  water-supply  is  aggravating  in  its 
partiality  and  the  extremes  of  its  fluctuations,  being 
in  quantity  either  too  much  or  too  little,  and  the 
water  obtainable  in  useful  quarters  is  mostly 
bespoken  for  Egypt.  In  time  this  will  be  regulated 
by  the  undertaking  of  works  which  will  distribute 
the  water  which  now  goes  to  waste  in  morasses. 

The  direction  of  effort  in  the  Sudan  will  lie  as 
much  in  the  way  of  developing  the  country's 
resources  by  its  inhabitants  for  its  inhabitants 
as  by  Europeans  for  Europeans ;  but  no  mean 
element  in  this  endeavour  lies  in  the  need  of  educa- 
tion of  the  native  to  overcome  indolence,  and  to 
discard  ancient  and  inefficient  methods  and  appli- 
ances. 


DEVELOPMENT  AND  PROGRESS      5 

Where  the  European  comes  in  is,  of  course,  in 
constructive  enterprises,  or  undertakings  involving 
large  tracts  of  ground  and  requiring  considerable 
capital,  and  it  is  in  these  directions  mainly  that 
occupation  for  young  Europe  will  open. 

Certainly  the  contemplated  supply  of  water  to 
the  Ghezireh  from  the  Blue  Nile  will  provide 
opportunity  for  cotton  -  growing  on  a  suitable 
scale,  though  the  quality  of  the  product,  as  at 
present  placed  on  the  market,  requires  considerable 
improvement.  Some  classes  of  rubber-producing 
trees  are  native  to  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal,  and  the 
fitness  of  its  conditions  for  the  varieties  generally 
favoured  is  now  being  tested. 

Still,  the  education  of  the  natives  proceeds  apace ; 
while  the  Greeks — merchants,  speculators  and  con- 
tractors— are  omnipresent  and  make  the  country 
their  home,  so  that  the  field  for  Europeans  proper 
will  more  or  less  follow  the  lines  of  that  of  Egypt, 
though  under  more  trying  conditions. 

Year  by  year,  under  the  fostering  care  of  the 
British  Mudirs,  production  increases  and  methods 
improve,  and  in  due  course — though  "hustle"  is 
unknown  in  the  Sudan — it  will  take  rank  as  a 
highly  important  source  of  supply. 

It  has  often  been  charged  as  a  shortcoming  of 
Great  Britain  that  her  traders  insufficiently  study 
their  markets,  so  can  it  be  wondered  at  that  the 
careless  Sudani,  who  for  thousands  of  years  have 
been  content  with  primitive  appliances  and  in- 
souciant inexactness,  find  difficulty  in  appreciating 


6  INTRODUCTORY 

the  demand  for  a  cotton  free  from  dust  and 
extraneous  particles  ? 

The  Arab  character  cannot  be  compared  with 
that  of  the  indigenous  races.  Tenacious,  intelli- 
gent, commercial,  and  experienced,  as  are  the  more 
developed  classes  and  the  Arabs  of  purer  blood, 
none  are  more  eminently  capable  of  appreciating 
immediate  advantage,  notwithstanding  the  custom 
and  prejudice  which  are  so  antagonistic  to  progress. 
Whatever  may  be  the  Arab's  vices  and  shortcomings, 
however  hardened  and  callous  where  the  sufferings 
of  others  are  concerned,  he  has  a  power  of  initiative, 
an  impelling  and  organizing  force  which  takes  him 
much  farther  than  the  mere  production  of  hardly 
sufficient  to  live  on,  as  is  the  case  with  so  many 
of  the  negroids. 

History  has  given  examples  of  great  powers  of 
organization,  and  of  an  influence  in  which,  whether 
exercised  for  good  or  for  evil,  intellect  has  taken 
chief  place.  The  subconscious  momentum  of  a 
ruling  and  dominant  race,  inherited  from  Asiatic 
forefathers,  has  carried  them  onward,  and  from 
the  east  to  the  west  and  far  to  the  south  they 
have  conquered  and  spread.  They  have  the  imag- 
inative power  which  permits  of  a  highly  developed 
religious  system,  a  docility  to  its  teaching  and 
an  extravagance  in  its  translation  born  partly  of 
elementary  fanaticism,  and  partly  of  an  unshakable 
belief  in  the  safety  of  their  own  eternal  future, 
involving  a  general  reliance  on  unadulterated 
selfishness. 


RELIGION  AND  CHARACTER         7 

What  if  these  peoples  had  not  been  the  subjects 
of  faiUngs  as  great  as  their  inherent  powers  ? 
What  if  principles  of  humanity,  progress,  and 
development,  had  gained  sway  in  place  of  the 
cramping  influences  of  a  religion,  or  perhaps,  to 
be  strictly  just,  the  interpretation  of  it,  which  warps 
while  it  yet  binds  together,  permits  a  fatalism  which 
enervates  in  one  direction  while  it  gives  force  in 
another,  and  an  egotism  which  runs  riot  between 
an  extreme  of  literal  observance  of  religious  formulae 
on  one  hand  and  the  slavery  and  destruction  of 
fellow-man  for  selfish  ends  on  the  other  ?  Had 
enlightened  ideals  found  a  favourable  ground  on 
the  basis  of  strength  and  of  intellect,  a  rule  of 
great  power  over  vast  areas  of  Africa  would  have 
been  created,  almost  unassailable  in  its  position. 

It  is  the  "kismet"  on  the  part  of  the  vast 
majority,  the  lack  of  inherent  as  distinguished 
from  prescribed  morality  on  the  part  of  vast 
numbers,  the  inappreciation  of  the  value  of  time, 
and,  except  under  extraordinary  stimulus,  the  lack 
of  cohesion,  which  limit  the  expansive  power  of 
this  remarkable  race. 

The  people  of  the  Sudan,  mixed  in  blood  as 
many  are,  nevertheless  are  sharply  divided  into 
three  classes — the  Arabs  or  pseudo- Arabs  of  the 
north  (for  these  show  many  divergencies  from  the 
original  Asiatic  type) ;  the  negroids  of  the  south, 
many  of  whom  were  doubtless  pushed  up-river  by 
the  invading  ancient  Egyptians  and  subsequent 
Arab  irruptions ;  and  certain  tribes,  including  the 


8  INTRODUCTORY 

Kordofan  Nubas  and  the  Barabras,  who  are  thought 
to  be  the  descendants  of  the  original  opponents  of 
the  ancients.  That  the  negroid  survives  after 
centuries  of  ravage,  spoUation,  and  intertribal 
warfare,  speaks  volumes  for  his  persistence  in 
living;  his  physique  under  trying  cHmatic  con- 
ditions is  a  proof  of  his  vitality,  for  the  fever- 
stricken  swamps  of  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal  appear  less 
destructive  of  stature  and  strength  than  the  factories 
of  Europe. 

Divided  into  a  vast  number  of  tribes,  incohesive, 
fickle  in  their  alliances  except  under  extraordinary 
stimulus,  the  varied  inhabitants  of  the  Sudan  yet 
exhibit  cosmical  characteristics,  for  their  differ- 
ing occupations  render  them  considerably  inter- 
dependent. 

Particular  tribes,  such  as  those  of  Darfur  and 
the  nomads  of  the  Bayuda  desert,  specialize  in 
camel-breeding,  the  latter  being  famous  for  the 
swift  hagin ;  the  Baggara  are  noted  for  their  cattle 
and  horses ;  the  Dongolese  for  their  dates  ;  salt  is 
produced  in  many  localities,  and  iron,  less  im- 
portant in  these  days  of  importation,  is  smelted 
by  even  such  savage  tribes  as  the  Jur  and  Bongo, 
for  the  purpose  of  being  manufactured  into  spear- 
heads and  hippo  harpoons,  considerable  skill  being 
shown. 

Pacification  and  instruction  are  proceeding  surely 
and  with  remarkable  success.  Sporadic  outbursts, 
mainly  fanatical  or  purely  savage,  occasionally 
occur,   and   in   the   less    accessible    districts    it    is 


THE  FERMENT  OF  DISCONTENT      9 

sometimes  necessary  to  demonstrate  the  warlike 
qualities  of  the  "  friends  of  peace,"  whose  motives 
are  to  a  great  extent  incomprehensible  to  the  native 
mind.  One  excellent  soldier  of  the  10th  Sudanese, 
a  late  Dervish  opponent,  speaking  of  an  expedition 
with  the  British  into  a  little-known  country,  stated 
that  he  could  not  understand  the  English — they  did 
not  seem  to  want  to  come  to  blows,  although  when 
they  did  they  were  keen  enough  ;  when  he  went 
among  an  alien  people,  all  he  longed  for  was  to 
have  a  fine  fight. 

It  cannot  be  denied,  however,  that  underneath 
an  appearance  of  calmness  lie  smouldering  fires. 
The  ambitions  of  the  slave  traders  cannot  easily 
be  eradicated  ;  the  smart  caused  by  the  suppression 
of  that  most  lucrative  of  occupations,  and  the  con- 
sequent interference  with  the  Arab  social  fabric, 
still  irritates  ;  the  inherent  detestation  of  an  infidel 
rule,  however  tolerant,  and  echoes  of  the  Nationalist 
movement  in  Egypt,  and  indeed  of  events  in  Asia, 
combine  to  render  "  Fire  and  Sword  in  the  Sudan  " 
once  again  eminently  possible,  though  the  "iron 
horse"  yearly  renders  revolutionary  success  less 
attainable. 

A  magnificent  work  lies  before  the  rulers  of  the 
Sudan,  a  great  field  for  the  exercise  of  the  finest 
attributes  of  an  imperial  race.  Much  has  been 
accomplished,  with  an  earnestness  and  devotion  on 
the  part  of  officials  which  must  command  the 
admiration  of  all  who  have  eyes  to  see  ;  the  clouds 
of  chaos  and  barbarism  are  being  gradually  dis- 


10  INTRODUCTORY 

persed,  and  the  foundations  have  been  laid  of  a 
State  which,  diversities  and  divergencies  notwith- 
standing, will,  under  European  guidance,  assert  its 
right  to  a  respected  and  useful  place  among  the 
countries  of  the  earth. 


CHAPTER  II 

PAST  AGES  OF  CONQUEST 

To  enter  a  country  without  knowing  something  of 
its  history  is  to  rob  the  experience  of  half  its  use- 
fulness and  pleasure.  Those  who  are  ignorant  of 
it  see  but  half  what  may  be  seen,  and  that  which 
does  come  before  them  is  imperfectly  appreciated. 
This  must  be  my  excuse  for  inflicting  the  following 
rough  and  imperfect  summary  of  the  history  of 
many  thousand  years  as  it  is  recounted  by  the  most 
eminent  authorities. 

The  history  of  the  Anglo-Egyptian  Sudan  is  so 
intimately  associated  with  its  physical  characteristics 
and  geographical  position  that  a  foreword  of 
description  is  essential  to  a  proper  understanding. 

As  it  is  known  now  it  is  almost  entirely  an  inland 
country,  bounded  on  the  north  by  Egypt  alone, 
against  which  it  imposes  formidable  defences  of 
desert  by  land,  and  boulder-strewn  rapids  by  river. 

On  the  east  its  character  is  more  varied,  pos- 
sessing a  frontage  on  the  Red  Sea,  of  inestimable 
importance  to  a  country  otherwise  surrounded  by 
various    states.      Following    the    eastern    frontier 

11 


12  PAST  AGES  OF  CONQUEST 

southward,  the  Itahan  colony  of  Erithrea  and  the 
great  empire  of  Abyssinia,  on  the  water-supply  from 
whose  hills  Egypt  at  present  is  absolutely  dependent 
for  fruitful  existence,  are  interposed  between  it  and 
the  sea ;  while  in  lower  latitudes  still,  where  even 
the  Sudan  itself  has  scarcely  been  traversed,  the 
arid  country  is  in  the  hands  of  entirely  savage 
people. 

About  1,300  miles  due  south  of  the  Egyptian 
boundary  as  the  crow  flies,  Uganda  and  the  Congo 
Free  State  form  the  southern  frontier,  the  latter 
extending  northwards  to  join  the  farthest  and  least- 
known  confines  of  the  French  Sudan  as  the 
enclosing  areas  on  the  west,  out  of  which  appeared 
Marchand  as  "  a  bolt  from  the  blue  "  on  his  way  to 
Fashoda. 

The  whole  importance  of  the  country  naturally 
depends  on  the  river,  which  follows  the  great  line 
of  surface  depression  extending  from  Lake  Nyassa 
to  Syria  and  marked  by  the  chain  of  Central 
African  lakes,  the  Nile,  and  the  Dead  Sea.  In  the 
Sudan  the  retaining  boundaries  consist  of  the 
mountains  of  Abyssinia  and  of  the  Atbai  district  on 
the  east,  and  the  ridge  on  the  west  which  separates 
Congo  and  Nile. 

The  drainage  area  of  the  Nile  is  divided  into  three 
great  sections  ;  the  greatest  extends  far  beyond  the 
limits  of  the  Sudan  into  the  Uganda  Protectorate, 
where  the  long-sought  source  was  located  as  the 
Victoria  Nyanza,  the  second  into  the  Highlands  of 
Abyssinia.     The  third,  which  is  at  present  of  least 


THE  COURSE  OF  THE  NH^E         13 

utilitarian  importance,  consists  of  the  territory 
drained  by  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal  and  its  tributaries  to 
the  east  of  the  Great  Divide,  from  the  western 
side  of  which  many  rivers  flow  into  the  Congo,  and 
eventually  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 

The  general  trend  of  the  Nile  to  the  north- 
ward is  broken  in  one  important  and  one  minor 
instance. 

Entering  the  Sudan  at  a  point  4  degrees  above  the 
Equator  it  follows  a  rapid  but  tortuous  course  into 
the  regions  of  swamp  which  characterize  its  most 
southerly  section  above  the  junction  with  the  Bahr- 
el-Ghazal  (this  river  being  its  first  and  only  tributary 
on  the  west  bank);  it  then  takes  a  severe  turn  to 
the  east,  until  once  more  deflected  to  its  original 
direction  by  the  flood  with  which  the  Sobat  opposes 
it.  North  of  Khartoum,  in  the  Dongola  province, 
it  presents  a  remarkable  divergence  from  its  general 
course,  assuming  the  form  of  the  figure  S  on  its  side, 
the  middle  stretch  actually  flowing  south-west  for 
nearly  200  miles.  During  the  whole  of  its  course, 
the  Nile  only  receives  four  tributaries  of  any  im- 
portance— those  on  the  east  bank  three  in  number, 
being  the  Atbara,  north  of  Khartoum ;  the  Blue 
Nile,  on  which  Khartoum  is  situated ;  and  the 
Sobat,  far  south,  all  taking  their  rise  in  Abyssinia. 

Broadly  speaking,  the  country  might  be  divided 
into  four  sections  :  the  desert  of  the  north,  the  dry 
but  inhabitable  country  of  the  west,  the  cultivatable 
areas  of  the  centre  and  east,  and  the  marshy,  tropical 
regions  of  the  south.     But   this   classification,  on 


14  PAST  AGES  OF  CONQUEST 

more  detailed  examination,  is  subject  to  considerable 
modification. 

In  the  north-west,  away  from  the  life-giving  river 
which  enriches  the  Dongola  province,  the  country, 
almost  entirely  desert,  is  relieved  by  oases  and 
peopled  by  nomad  Arabs ;  while  the  district  called 
the  Atbai,  in  the  extreme  north-west  bordering  the 
Red  Sea,  while  more  or  less  desert  in  character, 
becomes  mountainous,  healthy,  and  has  a  rainfall 
diu'ing  two  months  of  the  year  which  enables  vege- 
tation to  exist  in  favoured  spots.  Through  this 
district  the  Berber-Port  Sudan  railway  runs  to  the 
Red  Sea. 

Kordofan  in  the  west  of  the  Sudan,  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  river,  in  common  with  Darfur  on  its 
remote  side,  has  a  considerable  rainfall  at  one 
season,  but  the  land  soaks  it  up  like  a  sponge. 
The  country  is  characterized  by  groups  of  con- 
siderable hills,  which  in  Darfur  rise  to  a  height  of 
about  6,000  feet.  Facing  Kordofan,  on  the  east 
of  the  river  south  of  Khartoum,  is  the  rich-soiled 
Ghezireh,  flat,  with  occasional  hills,  backed  by  the 
district  of  the  Blue  Nile  and  tributaries,  and  with 
the  Kassala  province  still  farther  behind,  bordering 
Abyssinia,  in  all  of  which  there  is  land  of  great 
fertility  adapted  to  the  cultivation  of  cotton  or 
grain,  and  only  waiting  for  water. 

South  of  Kordofan  and  the  Sobat,  500  miles  up- 
stream from  Khartoum,  is  the  land  of  superfluity, 
where  water  constitutes  an  embari-as  de  richesse, 
and  the  country  suffers  in  consequence.     Here  are 


ADMINISTRATIVE  DIVISIONS        15 

thousands  of  square  miles  of  swamps,  the  highest 
land  in  amongst  them  rising  only  a  few  feet  above 
water-level,  intersected  by  the  Rivers  Zeraf,  Moun- 
tain Nile,  and  the  system  of  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal. 

When,  in  the  course  of  a  journey  up  some  branch 
of  the  latter  river,  whose  ramifications  extend  over 
the  whole  province,  the  lowest-lying  area  is  passed, 
a  tropical  country  is  entered  which  is  favourable 
to  the  growth  of  fine  timber,  and,  still  more  im- 
portant, is  situated  within  the  zone  suitable  for  the 
planting  of  rubber,  in  the  cultivation  of  which 
important  experiments  are  being  made. 

The  Blue  Nile  and  the  Atbara  both  rise  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Lake  Tsana,  far  up  in  Abyssinia, 
and  at  the  point  of  its  entrance  the  former,  with 
some  hundreds  of  miles  of  its  course  still  before  it, 
is  only  150  miles  distant  from  the  main  stream  of 
the  White  Nile. 

For  administrative  purposes  the  country  is  divided 
into  thirteen  provinces,  of  which  the  most  im- 
portant are  those  of  Dongola,  Berber,  and  Khartoum, 
in  the  north ;  Sennaar  and  Kassala  in  the  east ; 
Kordofan  in  the  west ;  and  the  Upper  Nile  and 
Bahr-el-Ghazal  in  the  south.  The  chief  towns  of 
these  are,  respectively,  Merowe,  El  Damer,  Khar- 
toum, Singa,  Kassala,  El  Obeid,  Kodok,  and  Wau. 
Dueim,  the  gate  of  Kordofan,  is  a  flourishing  port ; 
but  Omdurman,  originally  containing  a  vast  popula- 
tion, decreases  in  numbers,  while  Khartoum  North 
expands  daily  with  the  increase  of  commerce  and 
occupation. 


16  PAST  AGES  OF  CONQUEST 

The  tide  of  population  and  trade  during  ages 
gone  by  has  come  in  from  the  east,  as  in  Europe, 
and  Asia  overflowed  into  Africa  by  at  least  two 
well-defined  routes,  an  important  one  being  through 
Axum  in  Abyssinia,  the  other  following  the  Une 
of  least  resistance  by  the  course  of  the  river  from 
Egypt. 

From  time  immemorial  the  vast  areas  south  of 
Upper  Egypt  have  been  known  as  the  "  Country 
of  the  Blacks,"  and  from  time  immemorial  they 
have  been  invaded  by  the  peoples  from  the  north, 
and  have  paid  heavy  toll  in  human  flesh  and  gold. 
We  find  the  first  direct  mention  of  them  in  a  record 
of  the  Egyptian  King  Seneferu,  probably  3766  b.c, 
first  of  the  rulers  of  the  Fourth  Dynasty,  whose 
militant  spirit  caused  him  to  send  a  conquering 
army  into  the  arid  lands  of  the  Ta-Nehesu  nearly 
4,000  years  before  Christ. 

Yet  in  the  time  of  the  First  Dynasty  these  areas 
must  have  been  traversed  to  remote  limits,  as 
mention  is  made  of  the  bringing  of  a  pigmy  captive 
to  Memphis ;  and  in  these  days  it  would  appear 
that  the  pigmies  extended  into  the  country  north 
of  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal,  now  held  by  Shilluks. 

The  thin  line  of  the  river  and  a  chain  of  oases 
indissolubly  connected  the  barbarism  of  the  South 
with  the  civilization  of  the  opulent  North,  yet  in 
its  history  there  are  a  few  huge  gaps  which  are 
only  explainable  by  inferences  from  the  local  con- 
ditions of  Egypt  during  these  times.  Monuments 
of  stone  tell  stories  of  the  victories  of  Egyptian 


SIXTH  TO  TWELFTH  DYNASTIES     17 

arms,  and  the  destruction  and  captivity  of  thousands 
of  these  negroes.  Negroes,  many  of  them,  there 
undoubtedly  were,  their  representations  in  the 
picture  stories  of  Egypt  faithfully  demonstrating  it. 

Just  as  the  Sudanese  battalions  of  to-day  fight 
for  the  cause  of  Egypt  in  the  Sudan,  so  under  the 
Sixth  Dynasty,  say  3230  B.C.,  did  the  aboriginals 
aid  Pepi  I.,  whose  pyramid  may  be  seen  at  Sakkara, 
to  raid  and  harry  the  dwellers  in  the  desert ;  and 
his  general  in  later  years  may  be  judged,  by  his 
building  of  boats,  to  have  penetrated  far  into  the 
upper  reaches  of  the  White  or  Blue  Niles,  where 
suitable  timber  was,  and  still  is,  plentiful. 

Ivory,  ebony,  gold,  precious  stones,  frankincense, 
hides,  and  slaves,  were  brought  by  traders  or 
victorious  generals  to  add  to  the  riches  of  Egypt, 
and  during  the  decline  of  the  Kings  of  Memphis, 
from  the  Sixth  to  the  Twelfth  Dynasties,  until  the 
ultimate  rise  of  those  of  Thebes  several  hundred 
years  later,  while  traders  no  doubt  pursued  their 
calling,  the  internal  troubles  of  Egypt  caused  the 
Sudan  to  be  left  to  itself.  The  history  of  these 
days  being  usually  chronicles  of  exploits  and 
victories,  the  silence  of  this  great  hiatus  points 
naturally  to  the  absence  of  military  effort  or  of 
exploration. 

Under  the  Theban  Kings  Egypt  renewed  her 
strength,  and  Menthuhetep  III.,  taking  his  cue 
from  the  first  of  his  name  (Eleventh  Dynasty),  is 
depicted  as  the  victor  over  the  southern  hordes, 
and  the  Kings  of  the  Twelfth  Dynasty  (2466  b.c. 

2 


18  PAST  AGES  OF  CONQUEST 

onwards)  pursued  with  vigour  their  work  of  con- 
quering and  raiding  the  country,  exacting  tribute, 
and  paying  particular  attention  to  the  gold-niines. 

Usertsen  III.  (2333  B.C.),  the  fifth  King  of  the 
Twelfth  Dynasty,  established  his  authority  as  far 
south  as  Semneh,  south  of  AA^ady  Haifa,  which  he 
strongly  fortified,  as  may  be  seen  to  this  day,  guard- 
ing the  north  from  any  incursion  of  the  swarthy 
southern  race.  Indeed,  it  is  probable  that  his 
influence  extended  farther  south  than  this,  and  even 
to  the  Red  Sea,  so  that  the  occupation,  though  of 
a  continuously  hostile  country,  was  very  complete. 

The  estabUshment  of  chains  of  forts,  with  the 
provision  of  temples,  irresistibly  reminds  one  of  the 
stone  ruins  of  Mashonaland,  where  the  conditions 
appear  to  have  been  very  similar.  There,  too,  were 
alien  invaders  seeking  gold  in  a  hostile  country, 
constructing  chains  of  forts  along  their  route,  and 
with  the  great  temple  of  Zimbabwe  in  their  principal 
trade  centre.  But  the  opinion  of  some  learned 
Egyptologists,  though  disputed  by  others,  never- 
theless condemns  the  Rhodesian  ruins  to  an  almost 
modern  epoch,  and  JMonomotapa  is  made  infantile 
to  Napata,  in  spite  of  the  features  they  possess  in 
common. 

After  a  further  blank  in  its  history  during  the 
domination  of  Egypt  by  the  Shepherd  Kings,  from 
the  Fifteenth  to  the  Seventeenth  Dynasties,  further 
expeditions  took  place  from  1700  b.c.  onwards, 
under  the  Eighteenth  Dynasty,  of  which  the  records 
are  more  detailed,  and  speak  of  the  native  tribes. 


THE  ZENITH  OF  EMPIRE  19 

the  Anti  (hill-men)  and  Kensetin  (cattle-men),  who 
were  encountered. 

Remembering  the  recent  history  of  Egypt  and 
the  Sudan,  it  appears  but  a  repetition  of  its  ex- 
periences in  those  far-away  days,  for  when  Amasis  I. 
had  conquered  the  cattle-rearing  countries  of  the 
south,  and  had  returned  to  Egypt,  a  prototype  of 
the  Mahdi  arose,  who,  preaching  a  primitive  jehad, 
victoriously  attacked  the  strong  forts  at  Semneh 
and  elsewhere,  and  carried  destruction  to  temples 
and  their  contents  ;  but,  in  common  with  a  suc- 
cessor, the  Khalifa  of  his  day,  he  eventually  yielded 
to  the  superior  power  from  the  north. 

Of  the  Kings  of  this  dynasty,  Thotmes  III. 
appears  to  have  most  vigorously  asserted  the 
domination  of  Egypt,  and  the  divisions  of  the 
Sudan  are  now  first  named. 

His  aunt.  Queen  Hatshepset,  whose  temple  is  to 
this  day  the  most  lovely  sight  at  Deir-el-Bahari, 
Thebes,  had  sent  an  expedition  by  ship  down  the 
Red  Sea,  and  inland  into  Punt,  a  name  given  to 
the  territory  stretching,  probably,  from  the  south  of 
Khartoum  to  the  Red  Sea,  and  prolific  in  all  the 
products  of  the  Sudan,  there  found  in  abundance, 
such  as  gum,  ebony,  ivory,  antimony,  and  wild 
animals. 

Under  Thotmes  III.  one  might  well  speak  of 
the  "  Egyptian  Empire,"  extending  its  limits  as  it 
did,  by  virtue  of  his  conquests,  from  the  Euphrates 
to  regions  beyond  Uauat  (Northern  Nubia),  Kush 
(the   country  north  of  Khartoum),  and  yet  again 

2—2 


20  PAST  AGES  OF  CONQUEST 

Punt ;  for  Punt  was  brought  into  such  submission 
by  him  that  she  sent  her  tribute  into  Egypt  by  her 
own  messengers,  just  as  the  Shilluks  now  bring 
their  corn  as  tax  to  Fashoda. 

The  reign  of  his  successor  was  remarkable  for 
the  first  mention  of  the  city  of  Napata  (1500  B.C.), 
near  Merawi,  in  what  is  now  the  province  of 
Dongola,  and  for  an  activity  in  building,  which  was 
continued  by  later  Kings  of  the  dynasty. 

The  colony  of  Napata  seems  to  have  been  located 
in  fruitful  soil,  for  it  flourished  exceedingly,  and  in 
the  course  of  500  years,  reinforced  by  the  priests 
dislodged  from  Thebes  (966  B.C.),  and  identifying 
itself  more  or  less  with  the  races  it  was  planted 
amongst,  it  waxed  strong  and  healthy,  aided  by  the 
natural  resources  and  riches  of  its  land.  So  strong, 
indeed,  did  it  become  that  it  succeeded  in  wresting 
the  country  as  far  as  Assuan  from  the  hands  of 
the  Egyptians,  and  about  734  B.C.  Piankhi,  King  of 
Napata,  in  the  weak  period  of  the  Twenty-third  and 
Twenty-fourth  Dynasties,  actually  forced  his  way 
to  Memphis  and  annexed  the  whole  land  of  Egypt. 

Thus  for  a  short  period  of  ninety  years  Egypt 
existed  under  Ethiopian  Kings,  four  in  number, 
who  were  then  brought  into  contact  with  Assyria 
and  Judah,  and  gained  the  distinction  of  appearing 
in  Old  Testament  history.  Hezekiah,  King  of 
Judah,  had  had  the  misfortune  to  be  defeated  at 
Jerusalem  by  Sennacherib,  and  lost  all  his  wives 
and  concubines,  with  much  treasure  into  the  bar- 
gain.    There  appears  to  be  a  little  confusion  as 


ETHIOPIA  RELIEVES  JUDAH        21 

to  whether  it  were  Shabataka,  the  second  of  the 
dynasty,  or  Taharq,  the  third,  who  came  to  the  rescue 
by  creating  a  diversion  which  led  to  Sennacherib's 
withdrawal.  The  Old  Testament  (Kings  ii.  19)  has 
it  that  it  was  Tirhakah,  but  it  is  possible  that  he 
was  merely  acting  as  general  at  a  period  prior  to 
his  accession. 

The  acquaintance  of  Hezekiah  with  the  Ethi- 
opians was  apparently  continued  by  his  people, 
for  the  prophet  Zephaniah,  621  B.C.,  who  was  son 
of  Cuski  and  a  great-great-grandson  of  a  Hezekiah 
who  was  probably  not  the  King,  speaks  with  know- 
ledge of  the  characteristics  of  Ethiopia :  "  From 
beyond  the  rivers  of  Ethiopia  my  suppliants,  even 
the  daughters  of  my  dispersed,  shall  bring  me 
offering"  (Zeph,  iii.  10).  Can  the  word  "dis- 
persed "  refer  to  the  various  armies  which  had 
suffered  defeat  by  Assyrians  ? 

The  name  Cushi,  too,  is  interesting  in  this  con- 
junction, through  its  contemporariness  in  regard 
to  connection  with  these  ancient  inhabitants  of 
Cush  or  Ethiopia,  though  indeed  the  Canaanites, 
being  also  descendants  of  Ham,  have  an  ancestral 
connection  with  the  eldest  son,  Cush,  of  the  latter. 

To  return  to  the  direct  historical  line,  apart  from 
Napata,  we  come  about  1400  B.C.  to  days  coincident 
with  those  of  the  history  of  the  Israelites  in  Egypt, 
the  days  of  the  Rameses. 

Nothing  memorable  took  place  until  that  great 
warrior  and  boaster  Rameses  II.  came  to  the 
throne,  and  commemorated  his  victories  by  building 


22  PAST  AGES  OF  CONQUEST 

or  excavating  temples,  notable  amongst  which  is 
that  marvellous  work,  the  temple  of  Abu  Simbel, 
north  of  Wady  Haifa,  where,  it  is  worthy  of  notice, 
may  be  seen  representations  of  the  swarthy  inhabi- 
tants of  the  south. 

Josephus,  it  is  interesting  to  note  ("  Ant.,"  ii.  10), 
states  that  INIoses,  before  initiating  the  enterprise 
so  familiarly  associated  with  his  name,  while  a 
youthful  and  handsome  man,  headed  an  expedition 
against  the  kingdom  of  Meroe,  and  was  received 
with  open  arms  by  the  Sudanese  Princess  or  Queen, 
Tharbis,  who,  falling  a  victim  to  beauty  rather 
than  to  prowess,  opened  the  gates  of  her  capital 
to  the  brilliant  young  man,  and  won  a  moral  victory 
by  marrying  him. 

The  expedition  is  confirmed  by  tradition  quoted 
by  the  Arab  historians  Abu  Salih  and  Selim-el- 
Aswam,  who  speak  of  his  success  against  Tafa, 
forty  miles  above  Assuan,  and  his  marriage 
inferentially  is  testified  to  by  Miriam  and  Aaron 
(Num.  xi.  1),  who  were  apparently  jealous  of  him 
and  objected  to  his  influence,  for  had  he  not 
stooped  to  marry  an  Ethiopian  woman  ? 

The  only  argument  approaching  solidity  against 
the  story  of  Josephus  is  that  his  wife,  Zipporah, 
married  when  he  fled  from  Egypt,  and  a  Midianite 
of  the  Sinaitic  peninsula,  descendant  of  Shem, 
might  generically  on  a  basis  improbably  correct, 
and  sarcastically  as  a  term  of  reproach,  have  been 
styled  "  Ethiopian,"  even  as  Lord  Salisbury  is  said 
to    have    called    the   white-skiimed  Mr.  Dadabhai 


DECAY  OF  ETHIOPIAN  INFLUENCE    23 

Naoroji  a  "black  man";  moreover,  the  name  Tharbis 
does  not  appear  on  any  monumental  records,  but 
this  is  not  necessarily  important.  Later  on  in  the 
Christian  era  the  stretch  north  of  Tafa  is  said  to 
have  been  peopled  by  a  Himyaritic  race  originating 
in  Yemen,  Southern  Arabia,  with  which  country 
and  with  Egypt  the  Midianites  had  intimate  trade 
connections. 

Once  again  the  wave  of  Egyptian  influence 
abated,  and  gradually  weakened  until  the  advent 
of  Piankhi,  when  Egypt  fell  to  Ethiopia. 

After  the  eventual  defeat  and  flight  of  Taharka, 
the  third  of  the  dynasty,  by  the  Assyrians,  when 
he  lost  Memphis  and  Thebes  in  the  seventh  century 
B.C.,  his  stepson  Tanuath-Amen,  on  his  death,  pro- 
claimed himself  King  and  re-occupied  Thebes  and 
Memphis,  ejecting  the  Assyrians. 

This  proved  unpopular  with  these  enterprising 
aliens,  who  returned  in  numbers  660  B.C.,  and  the 
subsequent  history  of  Tanuath  -  Amen  and  the 
Ethiopian  dynasty  is  indicated  by  the  latter  half 
of  his  name,  so  far  as  Egypt  is  concerned. 

Relations  with  Egypt  appear  to  have  been  slight 
for  200  years,  and  the  exertions  of  the  rulers 
were  absorbed  in  extending  and  securing  their 
dominions.  But  this  period  was  remarkable  for 
the  accession  of  Egyptian  blood  in  the  reign  of 
Psammeticus  I.,  the  following  King  (Twenty-sixth 
Dynasty),  through  the  revolt  of  Egyptian  troops 
stationed  at  Assuan,  who  were  recompensed  with 
the   country   of  a   disaffected   tribe,   twelve   days 


24  PAST  AGES  OF  CONQUEST 

south  of  Meroe — which  is  chronicled  by  Herodotus, 
who  lived  about  430  B.C.  ;  also  for  the  despatch 
of  ambassadors  to  the  Ethiopians  by  Cambyses, 
of  the  Twenty-seventh  Dynasty  (527  B.C.),  followed 
by  an  abortive  expedition  against  them.  By  this 
time  Meroe,  the  site  of  which  has  been  located 
near  Shendi,  had  become  the  capital  of  the 
southern  half  of  the  kingdom,  and  the  gold  which 
is  found  in  modern  days  in  the  higher  portion  of 
the  Blue  Nile  indicates  the  locality  where  much  of 
the  loot  of  their  expeditions  came  from. 

The  mantle  of  Piankhi  descended  by  many 
Nubian  Kings,  of  whom  little  is  known,  to  a  long 
line  of  Queens  who  were  remarkable,  as  is  shown  by 
their  representations  at  the  temple  of  Nagaa,  north 
of  Khartoum,  and  elsewhere,  for  an  amplitude  of 
build  often  seen  amongst  the  Bantu  tribes  of  South 
Africa,  but  very  seldom  in  the  Sudan. 

A  representation  in  Dr.  Wallis  Budge's  hand- 
book on  the  Nile  illustrates  a  female  figure  with 
characteristics  particularly  resembling  those  of  a 
Pondo  girl  (South  Africa),  whose  proportions  com- 
mended themselves  extravagantly  to  her  swarthy 
admirers. 

This  series  of  Queens,  who  evidently  ruled  for 
some  hundred  years,  appear  invariably  to  have  taken 
the  name  of  Candace,  for  one  hears  of  a  Queen 
contemporary  to  Alexander  the  Great,  who  seems 
to  have  held  her  in  a  wholesome  awe ;  and  of 
others  through  the  Ptolemaic  period  to  the  Roman 
and  the  Christian  era,  there  being  mention  of  them 


THE  QUEENS  OF  ETHIOPIA         25 

in  Acts  viii.  27.  This  speaks  of  the  journey  of  a 
eunuch  of  authority  under  Candace,  Queen  of 
Ethiopia,  who  had  charge  of  her  treasure,  who 
came  to  Jerusalem  to  worship,  and  was  baptized 
at  his  own  suggestion  by  PhiHp.  If  he  safely  re- 
turned, this  is  noteworthy  as  constituting  the  first 
entry  of  Christianity  into  the  Sudan,  a  movement 
which  afterwards  attained  great  proportions. 

The  rule  of  these  Queens  and  the  preceding 
Kings  was  remarkable  for  considerable  activity 
in  building  —  many  temples,  monuments,  and 
pyramids,  existing  at  Meroe,  Nagaa,  Amara,  and 
Soba,  near  Khartoum,  which,  while  not  exhibiting 
the  degree  of  Egyptian  excellence,  are  of  great 
merit.  The  representations  of  Kings  and  Queens 
demonstrate  in  many  cases  distinctly  negro  charac- 
teristics, and  one  of  the  most  interesting  is  the 
sculptured  portrait  of  Candace,  Queen  Amen-Tarit, 
in  her  temple  at  Nagaa,  found  by  Lepsius. 

The  days  of  the  Ptolemies  were  mainly  peaceful 
in  the  Sudan,  and  apart  from  the  hunting  of 
elephants,  and  insignificant  building  and  additions 
to  temples,  they  appear  to  have  been  confined  to 
trade. 

The  Romans,  having  conquered  Egypt,  quickly 
came  into  collision  with  the  dark  races  of  the 
south.  Candace — perhaps  Queen  Amen-Tarit — 
about  24  B.C.  seized  a  psychological  moment  to 
attack  Syene,  the  present  Assuan.  Success  was 
not  for  long ;  her  army  was  dispersed  and  taken, 
and  Augustus  Caesar's  victorious  general,  Petronius, 


26  PAST  AGES  OF  CONQUEST 

forced  his  way  actually  to  Napata,  which  he  razed 
before  retiring. 

Nero  despatched  two  centurions  and  soldiers  to 
report  on  the  Sudan,  and  they  even  appear  to  have 
reached  the  districts  of  the  "  sudd,"  which  they 
faithfully  describe ;  indeed,  it  is  not  by  any  means 
certain  that  they  did  not  approach  within  measurable 
distance  of  the  Great  Lakes,  for  they  describe  fierce 
rapids  which  only  exist  near  the  exit  of  the  Nile, 
and  mention  to  Seneca  the  location  of  the  "  Nili 
Paludes"  as  under  the  "Mountains  of  the  Moon." 

The  Alexandrian  geogi'apher  Ptolemy,  150  a.d., 
correctly  divined  the  sources  of  the  Nile. 

The  Romans,  however,  never  made  any  serious 
occupation  of  the  Sudan.  They  added  some 
temples,  and,  generally  content  with  safeguarding 
Upper  Egypt,  merely  put  a  heavy  hand  down  on 
their  turbulent  neighbours  when  necessity  arose. 

The  bugbears  of  the  ancient  Egyptians,  the 
Anti,  became  known  as  the  Blemmyes,  and  spread 
into  Upper  Egypt.  Diocletian  (284  a.d.)  brought 
diplomacy  into  play,  and  secured  the  assistance  of 
the  Blemmyes  by  a  payment  similar  to  the  British 
subsidy  to  the  Ameer  of  Afghanistan,  and  cemented 
the  arrangement  by  an  agreement  with  another 
warlike  tribe,  the  Nubae,  or  Nobatse,  who  were 
enlisted  to  watch  the  Blemmyes,  and  were  probably 
blacks  from  the  west  bank.  By  the  year  580  a.d., 
in  the  reign  of  Tiberius  II.,  the  Roman  rule  had 
practically  come  to  an  end. 

Considering  tlie  fanatical  character  of  the  religion 


CHRISTIANITY  IN  THE  SUDAN     27 

of  the  Sudan  at  the  present  day,  the  fact  that  the 
country  became  a  Christian  one  in  the  latter  half 
of  the  sixth  century,  during  the  decadence  of 
Roman  influence,  is  remarkable.  And  that  Chris- 
tianity should  have  spread  with  such  rapidity, 
through  savage  hordes,  into  regions  so  far  removed 
from  the  then  modern  civilization,  is  yet  more 
extraordinary. 

But  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  there  was 
already  a  basis  on  which  to  work.  The  heathen 
and  savage  were  not  unleavened.  The  colonies  of 
ancient  Egyptians,  however  completely  they  may 
seem  to  have  vanished,  had  their  influence  ;  the 
exiled  Theban  priests  of  Amen-Ra  transplanted  a 
religious  atmosphere,  and  though  their  line  termi- 
nated about  200  A.D.,  there  are  evidences  that  a 
century  later  their  religion  still  existed. 

For  over  200  years  before  this,  Christianity  had 
taken  root  in  Egypt,  and  St.  Mark  is  supposed 
to  have  led  the  movement  for  many  years  there, 
if,  indeed,  not  farther  south  also.  The  news  of 
salvation  forced  its  way  past  Roman  persecution 
and  Egyptian  superstition,  over  hungry  deserts, 
mid  heathen  tribes,  with  the  resistless  penetration 
by  which  the  tender  seedling  pushes  its  head 
through  the  hardest  of  surfaces. 

Persecution  drove  the  converts  south  along  the 
line  of  least  resistance,  and  the  Blemmyes  who  were 
defying  Diocletian  may  have  harboured,  or  at  least 
have  tolerated,  them. 

By  330  A.D.  Christianity  had  begun  its  invasion 


28  PAST  AGES  OF  CONQUEST 

of  Ethiopia  via  Abyssinia  as  well,  taking  the  old 
trade  route,  followed  by  Queen  Hatshepset  of  the 
Eighteenth  Dynasty,  which  had  from  the  earliest 
days  been  the  alternative  to  that  of  the  Nile. 
Frumentius,  later  Bishop  of  Axum,  having  with 
a  fellow-student  been  wrecked  in  the  Red  Sea, 
became  tutor  to  the  Queen's  son,  and  founded  a 
mission  in  Abyssinia,  whose  work,  albeit  corrupted, 
exists  in  full  force  to  this  day. 

Exhibiting  the  vehemence  with  which  religion 
appeals  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  Sudan,  the  wave 
swept  over  the  country,  and  in  the  sixth  century  a 
Christian  King,  Silko  (550  a.d.),  converted  by  a 
missionary  of  the  Empress  Theodora,  ruled  from 
his  headquarters  at  the  historical  seat  of  the  Kings 
of  old  Dongola.  As  chief  of  the  Nubas,  or  Nobat^e, 
he  was  the  hereditary  enemy  of  the  Blemmyes,  and 
religious  differences  formed  useful  occasion  for  a 
warfare  which  ended  in  the  delivering  of  the  country 
between  Assuan  and  Haifa  from  their  control. 
Many  Christian  churches  were  built,  the  remains 
of  a  large  number  existing  to  this  day,  notably  at 
Nagaa  and  Soba.  Even  Abu  Simbel  came  into 
employment. 

The  connection  between  Silko  and  the  north 
at  this  time  receives  interesting  confirmation  by 
the  recent  discovery  at  the  old  Coptic  seat  of 
Christianity,  Edfu,  in  Upper  Egypt,  of  an  ancient 
book,  believed  to  be  in  the  Nub^u  language,  which 
is  evidently  a  history  of  St.  Mena,  who,  in  his 
youth  a  Roman  soldier,  became  a  convert,  and  was 


THE  DECLINE  OF  CHRISTIANITY    29 

martyred  307  a.d.  at  Almuna.  The  book,  of 
eighteen  pages,  in  veUum,  6^  inches  by  4  inches 
wide,  was  found  in  a  cave  in  the  desert  near  Edfu 
by  a  shepherd,  and  came  into  the  possession  of  the 
British  Museum.  The  language  is  unknown,  though 
the  characters  are  Greek,  and  thus  resemble  the 
inscriptions  found  at  Soba,  and  perhaps  at  Geteina, 
according  to  Gleichen. 

But  only  for  a  century  did  Christianity  enjoy 
full  sway,  for  the  overwhelming  advance  of  the 
Arab  invasion  placed  its  King  under  Mohammedan 
power. 

The  Mohammedan  general  Abdallah  Bin  Said, 
operating  from  Assuan  after  the  conquest  of  Egypt, 
laid  siege  to  Napata  and  defeated  its  King,  Koley- 
dozo,  651  A.D. 

But  absolute  Arab  dominion  was  not  immediate : 
the  victor  contented  himself  with  making  a  treaty 
ensuring  the  benevolent  treatment  of  the  Moham- 
medans, and  regulating  the  conditions  of  entry  by 
Nubse  into  Egypt  and  by  Mohammedans  into 
Nubia ;  and  for  600  years  an  annual  tribute  was 
paid. 

During  this  period  incursions  were  made  into 
Egypt  by  the  Nubians,  with  varying  success,  but 
in  a  manner  which  demonstrated  their  power  even 
to  the  redoubtable  Saladin. 

The  wars  of  the  Crusades  abating,  Muslim  energy 
was  free  to  turn  its  attention  to  other  quarters,  and 
neglect  to  pay  tribute  formed  sufficient  excuse  in 
1275  A.D.  for  a  successful  expedition  into  Nubia, 


30  PAST  AGES  OF  CONQUEST 

which  resulted  in  much  destruction  of  Coptic 
churches  and  in  definite  annexation,  but  for  some 
hundred  years  more  no  backbone  was  put  into  its 
conquest. 

The  most  serious  shock  came  from  within.  A 
race  came  to  the  fore  whose  origin  is  hidden  in 
doubt,  a  fact  which  tends  in  favour  of  its  coming 
from  other  than  Arab  stock,  and  probably  from  the 
south  or  west.  Certainly  the  Fung  nation  possesses 
characteristics  which  are  not  those  of  the  Arab,  and 
retains  traces  of  customs,  such  as  the  use  of  the 
boomerang,  which  one  is  accustomed  to  associate 
Avith  quite  primitive  peoples,  and  is  depicted  as  in 
use  by  the  ancient  Anti  against  the  early  Egyptians. 
They  are  also  addicted— as  are  the  Azande  of  the 
south — to  eating  dog  and  pig  flesh,  abhorred  of 
the  faithful.  Much  of  the  journey  described  in 
the  following  pages  passed  through  their  country. 

The  Fungs  began  to  crowd  the  Christian  blacks 
of  Meroe,  coming  from  the  eastward,  and,  operating 
from  their  capital  Sennaar  on  the  Blue  Nile,  expelled 
them  from  the  large  town  Soba,  near  Khartoum. 
From  the  fourteenth  to  the  eighteenth  century 
the  Fung  dynasty  was  a  paramount  power,  their 
territory  extending  from  Abyssinia  at  one  time 
to  the  frontier  of  Darfur,  as  for  five  years  they 
held  Kordofan.  They  dispossessed  the  Nuba? 
inhabitants  of  the  Ghezireh  who  may  have  been 
added  to  those  in  the  mountains  of  Kordofan,  where 
the  Nuba  tribe,  very  black  in  skin,  still  exists  in 
numbers. 


THE  KNELL  OF  NAPATA  31 

Threatened  about  1517  a.d.  by  an  invasion 
through  Abyssinia  by  Selim,  the  fii'st  Turkish 
Sultan  to  own  Egypt,  the  wily  Fung  King,  Amara 
Dunkas,  had  resource  to  artifice  to  preserve  his 
nation,  at  the  cost  of  any  conscience  he  may  have 
possessed.  He  succeeded  in  convincing  Selim  that 
he  was  a  good  JNIuslim,  and  his  genealogical  tree  as 
an  Arab  filled  Selim  with  amazement,  and  stupefies 
present-day  genealogists.  All  of  which  goes  to 
show  Dunkas  as  a  plausible  diplomatist. 

But  this  rang  the  knell  of  the  Christian  kingdom 
of  Napata.  Meroe  was  evacuated  after  hundreds 
of  years  of  dignity,  leaving  only  its  monuments  ; 
Napata  sank  into  obscurity,  and  the  bulwark  which 
for  so  long  had  delayed  the  spread  of  Moham- 
medanism over  Africa  succumbed  to  a  flank 
attack. 

Poncet,  the  first  European  of  more  modern  days 
to  visit  the  Sudan,  gives  evidence  of  the  moral 
anarchy  which  ensued  after  the  disruption  of  the 
Christian  Church  and  the  superficial  absorption 
of  Mohammedan  tenets.  He  proceeded  from 
Dongola  in  1699,  and  on  to  Sennaar,  in  company 
with  Father  de  Brevedent,  one  of  that  marvellous 
body  which,  150  years  before,  had  founded  a  Jesuit 
mission  even  at  Zimbabwe  in  Mashonaland. 

Lender  a  series  of  competent  rulers  the  Fung 
kingdom  had  progressed.  Many  missionaries, 
mainly  Franciscan  friars,  who  became  responsible 
for  the  murder  of  M.  le  Noir  du  Roule  by  Badi-el- 
Ahmar  in  1704,  were  in  the  country,  and  it  is  not 


32  PAST  AGES  OF  CONQUEST 

surprising  to  learn  that  in  the  reign  of  Badi-el- 
ShiUuk,  1724,  after  nearly  100  years  of  cultivated 
education,  it  was  recognized,  even  in  Constanti- 
nople, as  a  seat  of  learning,  and  Sennaar  was  visited 
by  Oriental  philosophers  from  many  lands. 

The  Hamegs,  whose  descendants  live  side  by 
side  with  those  of  the  Fungs  at  the  present  day, 
eventually  gained  power,  retaining  it  well  on  into 
the  nineteenth  century,  when  Ismail  Pasha,  accom- 
panied by  an  American,  extended  Egyptian  rule 
to  the  limits  of  Abyssinian  territory  at  the  bidding 
of  his  father,  Mehemet  Ali ;  Ibrahim,  his  brother, 
ascended  the  White  Nile,  and  his  brother-in-law, 
Mohammed,  took  Kordofan  and  Darfur,  com- 
mitting outrages  out  of  the  common  even  in  the 
Sudan.  It  is  interesting  to  read  that,  according  to 
Sir  H.  H.  Johnston,  officers  of  the  American  army 
were  employed  also  in  later  years  by  Gordon,  the 
Khedive  desiring  the  advantage  of  British  charac- 
teristics in  his  officials,  with  the  detachment  of 
transoceanic  nationality. 

The  modern  history  of  the  country  is  so  well 
known  through  the  writings  of  Bruce,  Cailliaud, 
Baker,  and  others,  including  those  of  the  period 
of  the  Mahdi  rebellion,  that  it  is  unnecessary  to 
refer  to  it  in  detail.  Suffice  it  to  add  that  during 
the  next  sixty  years  Egyptian  rule  was  consolidated, 
after  a  successful  fight  with  Abyssinia  at  Sennaar 
and  fruitless  rebellions  at  Kassala.  Baker  in  1870 
extended  it  far  to  the  south  into  Equatorial  Africa, 
of  which  territory  Gordon  became  Governor,  the 


THE  PASSING  OF  BARBARISM       33 

latter  being  appointed  Governor- General  of  the 
entire  Sudan  in  1877. 

The  Mahdi  arose  in  1881,  and  Gordon,  brought 
out  of  retirement  to  evacuate  the  Sudan  in  1884, 
was  murdered  on  the  fall  of  Khartoum  on 
January  26,  1885.  In  September,  1898,  at  the 
Battle  of  Omdurman,  Kitchener  opened  the  way 
to  Khartoum,  the  last  blow  to  Mahdism  being 
given  by  the  death  of  the  Khalifa  at  Um  Debreikat, 
inland,  opposite  Goz  Abu  Guma  and  the  birth- 
place of  Mahdism,  on  November  24,  1899. 

It  is  patent  that,  however  much  light  has  been 
thrown  on  the  history  of  the  Sudan  during  recent 
years,  incomplete  as  our  knowledge  is  now,  there 
is  yet  ample  opportunity  for  further  discovery  of 
its  more  ancient  history  in  the  investigation  of  the 
monuments  and  in  the  study  of  the  ethnological 
problems  which  abound. 


CHAPTER  III 

IN  A  LAND  DESERTED 

Those  who  take  pleasure  in  sport,  natural  history, 
the  freedom  of  an  unrestrained  life  out  of  doors,  the 
study  of  unsophisticated  man,  or  the  development 
of  a  new  country,  cannot  find  a  more  favourable 
land  for  the  indulgence  of  their  fancy  than  the 
Sudan. 

It  was  the  combination  of  all  these  interests 
which  had  more  than  once  drawn  me  thither,  rather 
than  any  one  in  particular  ;  and  while  sport  claims 
the  greatest  attention  on  a  journey  up  the  Blue 
Nile  and  its  affluents,  man  irresistibly  obtrudes 
himself  in  less-known  regions  far  south. 

Khartoum,  the  base  of  all  expeditions,  is  now 
under  ten  days'  journey  from  London,  and  most 
sportsmen  will  find  it  convenient  to  be  there  before 
the  end  of  the  year,  to  allow  for  the  making  of 
preparations,  and  to  obtain  a  start  by  the  time  the 
long  grass  has  been  at  least  partly  burnt  off'.  It 
is  essential  to  arrange  long  beforehand  for  supplies 
of  ammunition  to  be  forwarded  in  advance,  though 
some,  of  uncertain  supply,  can  be  obtained  on  the 

34 


THE  JOURNEY'S  REQUIREMENTS     35 

spot.  Tents  are  unnecessary  at  this  time  of  the 
year  ;  an  X  bed  is  best,  with  vahse  for  bedding 
and  mosquito-curtains  ;  and  if  much  camel-riding 
be  undertaken,  it  is  well  to  be  provided  with  a 
niaklufa,  or  saddle,  and  with  the  large  grass  matting 
of  the  country,  which  best  protects  baggage  from 
being  frayed  by  tlie  camel-hair  ropes,  and  is  also  a 
means  of  obtaining  shade  by  day,  and  of  carpeting 
the  rough  ground  by  the  bedside  at  night. 

A  donkey  or  mule,  the  latter  in  preference,  is  most 
useful  when  approaching  spots  favoured  by  game, 
and  much  tedious  walking  may  thus  be  avoided. 

Air-tight  tin  uniform  cases  are  handy,  and  are 
well  adapted  for  loading  on  the  camel ;  while  the 
wooden  boxes  specially  made  for  the  same  purpose 
most  efficiently  carry  food  and  kitchen  utensils. 
Some  use  them  for  clothing  as  well. 

Practically  everything  required  can  be  obtained  in 
Khartoum,  and  the  sending  of  goods  from  England 
is  costly  or  tedious,  very  probably  both.  Long 
mosquito-boots  of  soft  leather  are  essential  in  the 
more  southerly  districts,  and  for  the  same  reason  1 
found  loose  leather  gloves,  covering  the  elbows,  a 
useful  protection ;  for  the  hands  and  elbows  are  liable 
to  come  into  contact  with  the  mosquito-nets,  and 
it  is  wonderful  to  see  with  what  celerity  the  insects 
instantly  repair  to  the  point  where  these  touch. 

The  -303  rifle  is  forbidden,  for  military  reasons. 

Servants  are  best  engaged  in  Khartoum,  and 
expect  to  be  brought  back  there ;  a  cook  and 
suffragiy  or  personal  attendant,  should  be  sufficient. 

3—2 


36  IN  A  LAND  DESERTED 

Shikaris  and  guides  are  naturally  engaged  in  the 
country  visited. 

The  methods  of  travelling  to  Singa,  the  point  of 
departure  from  the  Blue  Nile  when  following  the 
Dinder  upstream,  are  three  in  number.  Up  to 
December,  or  perhaps  a  little  later,  it  can  be  reached 
by  steamer  ;  but  this  being  earlier  than  most  people 
would  care  to  arrive,  the  alternative  routes  are  by 
camel  along  the  Blue  Nile,  the  whole  distance  of 
270  miles,  or  by  steamer  to  Hillet  Abbas  (in  the 
near  future  by  rail  on  part  of  each  route),  thence 
on  the  camels,  already  ordered  to  be  in  attendance 
there,  across  the  Ghezireh  to  Singa,  only  ninety-five 
miles  away. 

It  was  this  route  which  I  followed,  and  which 
proved  a  useful  preparation  for  the  subsequent 
journey,  after  good  friends  in  the  country,  whose 
assistance  was  invaluable,  and  to  whom  many  thanks 
are  due,  had  been  left  far  behind. 

How  many  African  travellers,  when  seated  care- 
lessly by  the  home  fireside,  allow  their  thoughts  to 
wander  back  to  the  red  embers  of  the  camp-fire, 
the  grey,  ghostly  forms  of  skeleton  trees,  the  white 
cone  of  mosquito-curtained  bed,  and  the  motionless 
excrescences  of  shadow,  denoting  the  resting  camels 
or  their  dusky  drivers  ?  How  inconsequentially,  at 
odd  moments  during  the  night,  occurs  the  sleepy- 
toned  chatter  of  one  camp-follower  to  another,  a 
camel's  grumble,  or  the  far  weird  sounds  of  wild 
nature.  The  breeze  fans  the  cheek,  the  stars  are 
brilliant ;  above  and  around  is  darkness,  the  abode 


v-*^ 


f..:^^|1;;|^^^'- 


^.  ■    .-«!>• 


GEBEL    KORDI  :    A    TYl'K  AL    HILL    350    FEET    HIGH. 


THE    BLUE    NILE    AT    .SIXGA. 


To  face  page  36. 


THE  FIRST  NIGHT  IN  THE  FOREST     37 

of  mystery,  holding  at  close  quarters  one  knows  not 
what,  and  ready  to  close  in  and  enfold  the  resting 
cosmos  of  humanity  should  the  logs  burn  down  and 
the  firelight  fail. 

The  hour  is  favourable  to  fancy,  the  imaginary 
assumes  the  cloak  of  reality,  while  reality  becomes 
exaggeration.  Even  the  dead  silence  enveloping 
the  casual  noises  of  camp  and  forest  is  invested  with 
significance  and  causes  awe.  The  immensity  of  the 
heavenly  vault,  the  thick  gloom  of  illimitable  space 
surrounding,  the  freedom  of  the  earth  to  every- 
thing nocturnal,  encourage  the  reception  of  impres- 
sions which  always  remain  fresh  and  enduring. 

Seen  70  feet  above  from  its  precipitous  bank,  even 
in  this  dry  season,  the  swift  Blue  Nile  was  great  at 
Singa,  following  its  own  chosen  path  in  the  broad, 
yellow  expanse  of  sand  270  miles  above  Khartoum. 
Ripples  on  its  surface  here  and  there  denoted  the 
presence  of  great  fish.  A  narrow  black  head  would 
show  up  for  a  moment,  or  a  long,  loathly  body 
crawl  out  on  the  far  side  of  the  river,  for  the 
crocodile  is  not  yet  driven  away.  Strange  and  in- 
congruous it  seemed  to  see  a  steel  boat  push  out 
to  these  same  sand-banks,  and  the  crocodiles  give 
way  to  the  children  of  the  Egyptian  Mamur  for 
their  afternoon's  play. 

In  the  evening  the  air  became  clamorous  with 
the  shouts  of  Arabs  urging  their  camels  into  the 
craft  by  which  they  crossed  the  broad  stream ;  the 
mule  had  gaily  hopped  into  it  and  out  again  with 
little  ado,  and  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile  all  plodded 

1  i  8  5  S  ;> 


38  IN  A  LAND  DESERTED 

the  sandy  width  to  the  sudden,  steep  rise  on  the 
eastern  side,  which  holds  in  check  the  turbulent 
torrent  of  the  rainy  season. 

A  momentary  stop  before  plunging  into  the 
gloom  of  the  bush  topping  the  bank  showed  one 
the  lights  of  the  Sudanese  township,  representing 
the  last  touch  of  civilization  before  entering  the 
confines  of  a  depopulated  country  returned  to  the 
domination  of  the  wild  beast.  The  candle-light 
uncertainly  showed  the  foot-tracks  of  the  camels 
winding  for  a  mile  toward  the  great  baobab  or 
tebeldi  tree  {Adansonia  digitata)  which  marked  the 
first  camping-ground. 

Good-byes  had  been  said,  the  drunken  cook 
lectured,  and  only  the  few  short  hours  of  the  night 
preluded  the  departure  on  safaria. 

Regeneration  is  the  watchword  of  this  province 
of  Sennaar.  In  early  days  the  seat  of  a  barbarian 
civilization  and  a  learning  which  even  called  votaries 
from  far  India,  it  fell  upon  evil  times.  The  capital 
of  the  Fung  kingdom  of  Sennaar,  founded  in  the 
sixteenth  century,  it  successfully  resisted  the  Abys- 
sinian forces  in  1719,  but  later  JNIehemet  Ali  reached 
out  his  conquering  hand  from  Cairo,  though  suffer- 
ing the  loss  of  his  son  Ismail  by  treachery  at 
Shendi  in  1822.  Egyptian  forces  held  posts  at 
Sennaar  and  Roseires,  at  which  latter  place  may 
still  be  seen  a  battered  band  instrument  of  ante- 
Mahdi  date. 

Even  in  1883  the  Mahdists,  under  Ahmed  Wad 
el  Makashef,  had  besieged  Sennaar  town  unsuccess- 


THE  TRAGEDY  OF  A  KINGDOM     39 

fully,  the  siege  being  raised  by  that  capable  soldier, 
Abdel  Kader  Pasha. 

Subsequently  the  Egyptians  under  Nur  Bey 
were  defeated  and  Sennaar  burnt  by  El  Mehrdi 
Abu  Rof,  who — says  Ohrwalder — was  actually  a 
descendant  of  the  ancient  Kings  of  Sennaar,  and 
chief  of  the  powerful  Gehena  tribe,  which  for  long 
defied  the  Mahdi's  power. 

Possession  was  regained  by  the  Egyptians,  and, 
on  the  rise  of  the  Mahdi,  Nur  Bey  conducted 
the  famous  defence  of  the  town  with  3,000 
soldiers,  undergoing  a  siege  which  terminated  in 
August,  1885,  seven  months  after  the  fall  of 
Khartoum,  700  men  alone  remaining.  Nur  Bey, 
still  living  in  Omdurman  in  1892,  escaped  the  fate 
of  the  defenders  of  Kassala,  who  were  murdered  a 
month  later  by  Osman  Digna  (still  irreconcilable 
and  in  captivity  at  Wady  Haifa  in  1909),  on  the 
fall  of  that  last  remaining  post. 

And  what  of  the  remains  of  the  ancient  kingdom 
of  Sennaar  after  a  few  years  of  Dervish  rule  ?  The 
independence  inherited  of  a  line  of  rulers  by 
El  INIehrdi  Abu  Rof  stirred  him  to  resist  the 
Mahdi,  and  his  head  soon  rotted  on  Omdurman 
walls.  His  people  were  slaughtered  in  thousands, 
famine  silenced  the  land,  village  upon  village  dis- 
appeared for  ever,  leaving  merely  a  name  to  be 
heard  by  the  white  traveller  of  to-day.  The 
granary  of  the  Sudan  was  reduced  to  a  howling 
wilderness,  and  its  enfeebled  remnants  of  popula- 
tion shrank  to  the  narrowest  limits. 


40  IN  A  LAND  DESERTED 

So  now  the  thousands  of  square  miles  ahead 
are  but  sparsely  populated  for  the  first  few  miles, 
and  thereafter  are  merely  names  of  habitations 
long  disappeared,  and  subsisting  only  in  memory 
or  tradition. 

Architectural  landmarks  in  African  history, 
apart  from  those  under  Egyptian  influence,  the 
foreign  buildings  of  Zimbabwe  in  Mashonaland, 
and  the  more  substantial  Arab  structures  in  the 
Western  Sudan  and  Nigeria,  are  practically  non- 
existent. Mud  walls,  if  not  continually  repaired, 
are  washed  away  by  tropical  rains,  and  honey- 
combed by  bees  or  the  busy  mason-wasp.  Wood 
falls  a  prey  to  termites  and  to  rot,  and  the  dis- 
appearance of  mankind  is  followed  with  startling 
speed  by  the  obliteration  of  all  trace  of  his  dwelling. 
Thus  we  are  debarred  from  a  great  aid  in  the 
tracing  of  racial  movements  and  origin. 

It  is  unnatural  and  distasteful  to  rise  before  dawn, 
and  the  stifled  yawns  of  the  awakening  Arabs 
annoy  one.  But  the  grumbling  of  camels  and 
restlessness  of  a  stirring  camp  rouse  one  effectually, 
and  toilet  is  completed  en  plein  air.  Oh,  the 
freshness  of  it  1  No  confinement  between  four  walls, 
no  restricted  atmosphere,  the  birds  begiiming  to 
call  around  one,  life  awakening  everywhere,  one 
feels  thus  part  and  parcel  of  the  world  of  living 
creatures,  not  a  detached,  imprisoned  being,  half 
bereft  of  the  senses  we  were  originally  provided 
with,  through  sheer  lack  of  opportunity  to  use. 

The  whole  company  is  Arab,  but  Arab  of  various 


SUDAN    RESIDEXCES  :    OLD    AND    NEW    STYLE. 


FIKST    SI(;HT    of    the    DIN'DER  :     KHAMISA. 


To  face  page  40. 


THE  DESERT  EXPRESS  41 

sorts  and  colours ;  a  shikari,  Ibrahim,  his  relative 
Abdullah  and  two  youths,  Fadl  el  Mullah  and 
Abdullah  Bachit  the  younger,  come  as  helpers ;  Abid 
the  cook  and  Mustapha  the  valet  see  to  personal 
effects,  while  various  camel-drivers  of  skimpy  attire 
quarrel  over  the  loads,  and  manage  their  awkward 
charges  with  precision  and  dexterity. 

The  camel  provides  an  object-lesson  in  specializa- 
tion by  nature,  so  curiously  does  he  fulfil  particular 
requirements  of  mankind  in  particular  circum- 
stances, and  so  excellently  is  he  provided  with 
mechanical  and  mental  arrangements  for  fulfilling 
the  same  objects.  The  provision  of  extra  stomachs 
for  the  purpose  of  carrying  a  water-supply  is  his 
most  famous  attribute,  but  there  are  many  others 
which  are  only  apparent  when  actual  use  is  made 
of  his  services.  Even  his  wife  has  the  virtue  of 
providing  an  excellent  milk,  highly  appreciated  by 
connoisseurs. 

The  peculiar  jointing  of  his  legs  enables  his  body 
to  be  easily  amenable  to  loading,  his  hump  serves 
the  double  purpose  of  being  a  reservoir  of  nutritive 
fat  in  days  of  scarcity  and  a  convenient  projection 
for  attachment  of  the  saddle.  As  he  squats  on  the 
ground  with  legs  neatly  folded,  a  useful  hardened 
pad  on  the  lower  part  of  his  chest  takes  the  main 
portion  of  his  weight,  and  his  front  leg  and  neck 
form  convenient  stepping-places  for  making  an 
ascent  to  the  saddle. 

His  feet  are  soft  pads,  and  splay  over  the  yielding 
sand  as  he  gently  places  them ;   he  keeps  up  his 


42  IN  A  LAND  DESERTED 

slow,  steady  pace  hour  after  hour  if  a  baggage  camel, 
and  trots  his  easy,  sliding  step  if  a  riding  one.  His 
hair  provides  the  material  for  the  ropes  which  enthral 
him,  and  his  dung,  in  default  of  wood,  a  useful  fuel. 
He  is  guided  by  a  pat  on  either  side  of  the  neck ; 
a  rope  round  his  muzzle,  with  a  thin  string  threaded 
through  the  skin  of  the  nostril,  gives  some  control. 
Hurry  is  foreign  to  the  baggage  camel's  nature, 
deliberation  of  a  supercilious  kind  the  main  point 
in  his  creed. 

Yet  this  admirable  animal  has  his  drawbacks. 
He  can  take  nothing  cheerfully ;  he  labours  under 
a  feeling  of  continual  injustice  ;  he  growls  when  he 
is  loaded  ;  it  is  equally  an  imposition  on  his  good- 
nature when  he  is  relieved  of  his  burden.  He  takes 
a  delight  in  grabbing  at  his  rider  when  mounting 
into  the  saddle,  and  rejoices  in  rising  suddenly 
before  it  is  safely  entered.  And  the  rising  of  a 
camel  is  (to  the  rider)  a  matter  of  moment :  first, 
the  sudden  tilting  back  as  he  gets  to  his  knees,  next, 
an  equally  violent  thrust  forward  as  the  hind-legs 
come  into  action,  and  then  back  once  again. 

On  the  march  he  loves  to  be  the  last  of  the  file ; 
he  avails  himself  of  every  opportunity  of  unexpect- 
edly swinging  aside  a  couple  of  yards  of  neck  to 
pluck  a  mouthful  of  desiccated  thorns  ;  he  picks  out 
the  worst  of  tlie  path  so  that  he  may  have  an 
excuse  for  stumbling  (and  a  ten-foot  stumble  is  no 
joke) ;  he  drops  on  every  possible  occasion  into  the 
walk  which  renders  the  deficiency  of  a  waist  joint 
obvious  in  the  human  frame  ;  he  is  the  prey  of  huge 


THE  CAMEL-DRIVER  43 

ticks  ;  and  lastly,  and  above  all,  he  stinks.  The 
sweat-gland  at  the  back  of  his  head  would  be  well 
placed  for  him  if  he  appreciated  the  odour  as  does 
the  European,  and  no  wonder  that  game  fly  at  his 
approach  within  a  mile  or  so. 

The  traveller  is  well  advised  each  night  to  ascer- 
tain the  direction  of  the  wind,  as  otherwise  he 
will  find  that  his  camel-drivers  have  thoughtfully 
placed  their  property  in  the  most  advantageous 
position  for  assuring  him  of  its  presence. 

Equally  strange  are  the  owners.  A  class  apart, 
half  the  year  they  are  nomads,  journeying  hither 
and  thither,  onward  or  homeward  as  business  leads 
them,  they  and  their  camels  becoming  almost  part 
of  each  other.  They  sleep  together  ;  the  man  will 
share  his  dhurra  with  his  alter  ego,  and  will  grumble 
and  complain  identically. 

The  camel-driver  is  a  race  to  himself ;  ordinarily 
small  and  slight,  often  with  pronounced  Semitic 
features,  he  is  of  the  lowest  order  of  Arab  intel- 
ligence, yet  with  the  sharpened  instincts  and  the 
endurance  of  primitive  life.  Fortified  with  one  skin 
full  of  dhurra,  and  another  of  water,  he  will  travel 
hundreds  of  miles,  sometimes  by  day,  at  others  by 
night,  when  he  sings  alternately  with  his  companions 
along  the  straggling  line  to  insure  cohesion,  and  to 
scare  wild  beasts  from  the  line  of  march. 

An  unaccustomed  mule  with  an  unfamiliar  saddle 
proved  to  be  inferior  in  comfort  to  the  easy  trotting 
camel,  and  twenty  miles  of  riding  over  rough  tracks 
with  a  saddle  too  much  arched  proved  a  trial  even 


u 


44  IN  A  LAND  DESERTED 

to  one  already  well  broken  in  to  African  journey- 
ing. 

It  is  a  good  rule  to  see  the  baggage  camels  off 
early  on  their  way  to  the  midday  halting-place,  so 
that  lunch  may  be  awaiting  one  after  a  morning's 
stalk  ;  and  never  is  it  so  fully  realized  how  long  is 
a  stern  chase  than  when,  hot  and  weary,  the  tracks 
of  these  "  tortoises  "  are  followed  with  the  know- 
ledge that  refreshment  and  siesta  ensue  on  their 
overhauling. 

This  twenty  miles  lay  between  the  Blue  Nile  and 
its  tributary,  the  River  Dinder,  much  of  the  way 
being  by  a  new  track  through  thick  bush,  offering 
every  variety  of  jolt  through  the  virgin  roughness 
of  the  ground.  The  native  town  of  Khamisa  gave 
the  first  sight  of  the  Dinder  through  a  break  in  the 
vegetation,  now  merely  a  stream  of  sand  with  large 
deep  pools  at  intervals,  sometimes  under  the  pre- 
cipitous bank  on  this  side,  or  stretching  across  to 
overhanging  jungle  opposite.  The  Dinder  joins  the 
Blue  Nile  180  miles  south-east  of  Khartoum,  and 
the  more  easterly  Rahad  comes  in  at  Wad  INIedani, 
forty  miles  lower  down.  The  general  flow  of  all 
three  rivers  is  north-west,  and  divergence  in  the 
direction  of  their  sources  is  very  gradual. 

The  African  robin,  black  with  scarlet  breast, 
peeped  at  the  white  man  resting  in  the  shade ;  small 
monkeys  carefully  crawled  down  to  the  water's 
edge,  scared  quickly  by  the  slightest  movement ; 
while  elsewhere  little  children  drove  sheep  and 
goats  to  water  down  the  steep  incline. 


THE  TRACK  OF  THE  ELEPHANT  45 

The  journey  onwards  to  Abu  Hashim  provided 
a  lesson  in  the  utihty  of  a  common  language. 
Ibrahim  had  failed  to  learn  Esperanto  ;  my  Arabic 
was  yet  of  the  most  limited  scope.  All  had  heard 
at  Singa  of  the  number  of  elephants  beyond  Abu 
Hashim,  that  had  been  causing  consternation  to 
the  villagers. 

The  path  was  suddenly  broken  by  a  deep  gorge, 
with  sides  so  crumbling  and  precipitous  that  the 
passage  of  camels  seemed  a  sheer  impossibility. 
The  mule  found  little  difficulty  though  dislodging 
much  soil,  and  the  first  camel,  relieved  of  its  load, 
plunged,  still  disdainfully,  into  the  abyss,  clambering 
on  its  knees  up  the  friable  ledges,  and  gaining  the 
top  after  much  groaning  and  fuss.  Under  circum- 
stances such  as  these  one  learns  to  appreciate  the 
virtue  of  patience,  for  it  was  long  before  the 
passage  of  the  Khor  Agaliin  was  effected,  and 
the  camels  once  more  loaded. 

In  the  meantime  my  eye  rested  on  a  large, 
irregular  oval  impression  on  the  dusty  ground  ; 
the  surface  was  smooth,  yet  traversed  by  veinlike 
markings.  Other  and  yet  other  ovals  surrounded 
it,  and  the  memories  of  a  chase  in  a  distant 
country,  far  up  on  the  Mountain  Nile,  came  back 
to  me.  Fil  (elephant),  smiled  Ibrahim,  breaking 
in  on  my  thoughts ;  and  onward  as  we  travelled 
more  numerous  and  fresh  became  the  great 
tracks,  while  broken  branches  and  heaps  of  fresh 
dung  showed  how  recent  was  the  presence  of  the 
mighty  herd. 


46  IN  A  LAND  DESERTED 

Villagers  passed,  and  conversation  took  place ; 
they  came  with  donkeys — as  I  thought,  en  route  for 
their  hut  villages.  "  A  plague  on  Babel !"  thought 
I,  as  Ibrahim  talked  earnestly  to  me.  We  pressed 
forward,  and  only  that  night  did  I  learn  that  the 
Inspector  who  had  preceded  me  on  a  local  visit 
that  afternoon  had  met  and  killed  his  first  elephant 
within  a  mile  of  the  spot.  Far  away  by  this  time 
was  the  herd,  leaving  one,  fortunately,  with  the 
tiny  '303  bullet  in  his  brain  to  provide  food  for 
scores  of  villagers,  who  flocked  like  vultures  to 
the  kill. 

The  dissection  and  division  of  the  carcass  is  one 
of  the  revolting  sights  of  Africa,  for  brute  man 
swarms  in  and  around  it,  recking  nothing  of  the 
gore,  and  finding  fruitful  cause  of  quarrel. 

The  tusks,  brought  in  to  Abu  Hashim  at  night, 
made  their  presence  known  by  an  elephantine 
odour,  and  presented  the  characteristics  of  those 
of  the  Blue  Nile  as  contrasted  with  the  giants  of 
the  White  Nile,  being  of  30  and  34  pounds  weight 
only.  It  is  difficult  to  account  for  the  difference 
in  size  existing  within  so  comparatively  small  a 
distance,  as  distances  in  Africa  go,  but  variations 
in  other  animals  appear  in  much  the  same  way. 
For  example,  the  maneless  lion  is  common  in  this 
district,  whereas  farther  south  the  mane  is  almost 
invariable.  Moreover,  one  gathers  that  the  Somali- 
land  lion  is  of  a  more  enterprising  character  in 
regard  to  human  meat  than  his  brother  of  the 
Sudan,  who,  as  a  rule,  will  let  mankind  alone  if 


(  Kossixc;    rnK  Kiiou   agaliin. 


A    (UAXr    TKHKl.DI-I'ltKK 


To  face  page  40. 


A  COUNTRY  OF  DESOLATION       47 

let  alone  himself.  In  Southern  Africa,  also,  the 
lion  has  to  be  taken  more  into  consideration, 
though  in  my  solitary  experience  there  of  meeting 
one,  when  armed  with  a  twenty-bore  shot  gun,  he 
fortunately  rejected  his  opportunity. 

The  Blue  Nile  and  Binder  are  certainly  remark- 
able for  an  occasional  picturesqueness,  for  the  most 
part  absent  on  the  White  Nile,  which,  owing  to  its 
great  width,  dwarfs  the  height  of  banks  and  bush 
or  forest  that  in  a  smaller  river  have  more  influence 
on  the  landscape.  At  the  wide  sweeping  bends  of 
the  stream  this  was  particularly  the  case,  when  the 
water  was  blue  in  the  late  afternoon,  and  the  latent 
colours  of  the  country  were  freed  from  the  binding 
thraldom  of  the  tyrannous  sun. 

Quite  a  typical  scene  of  this  description  is  sup- 
plied by  the  small  village  of  Durraba,  70  feet  above 
the  bank,  at  a  majestic  curve,  the  last  post  of  even 
Arab  civilization  in  this  deserted  country,  where 
a  few  families  were  making  a  hard  fight  against 
drought  and  famine. 

During  the  previous  day  we  had  met  many  small 
parties  on  their  way  down-river,  consisting  of 
families  travelling  to  other  localities  to  obtain 
scanty  supplies  of  dhurra  (Indian  millet,  or  sorghum, 
the  staple  food  of  the  Sudan),  the  crop  of  which 
had  failed  in  this  district. 

Yet  Sir  Samuel  Baker,  passing  only  fifty  miles 
away  in  1861,  reported  the  neighbouring  country 
of  the  Rahad  to  be  full  of  Arabs,  with  abundant 
supplies  of  corn. 


48  IN  A  LAND  DESERTED 

For  100  miles  before  us,  in  ante-lNlahdi  days, 
there  had  been  village  upon  village,  the  more  distant 
of  them,  it  is  true,  being  retired  from  on  the 
approach  of  the  wet  season.  Now  all  have  dis- 
appeared, save  a  police  post  at  Khor  Galegu  and 
a  slavery  post  on  the  Abyssinian  frontier. 

The  Sheikh  of  Durraba  made  the  inevitable 
mistake  of  the  African  native,  and  called  for  my 
services  as  a  doctor.  On  receiving  sufficient 
medicine  for  five  white  men,  impatient  for  a  cure, 
he  disregarded  my  instructions,  and  took  it  all  at 
once,  leaving  me  with  an  uneasy  conscience  for 
many  days  after. 

Poor  as  they  were — perhaps  anticipatory  of  vast 
loads  of  dried  meat  to  come  to  them  as  a  result  of 
my  chase — they  were  painstaking  for  my  comfort, 
and  hospitable. 

It  had  not  been  brewing-day,  and  so  the  usual 
offering  of  merissa  or  um-bil-bil  was  not  forth- 
coming. Moreover,  it  was  not  a  land  of  plenty, 
but  I  was  provided  with  a  cool,  thirst-quenching 
decoction,  consisting  of  flakes  of  treated  dhurra 
flour  steeped  in  a  great  preponderance  of  water. 

At  Abu  Hashim,  the  handsome  and  intelligent 
Egyptian  Mamur,  Achmet  Khalil,  sighing  in  his 
loneliness  for  the  fleshpots  of  Egypt,  had  laugh- 
ingly caused  one  of  his  subordinates  to  bring  me 
samples  of  the  already  familiar  merissa,  and  of  its 
refinement  um-bil-bil,  which  is  manifestly  superior, 
in  that  it  is  less  disagreeable. 

In  the  weeks  to  come  I  was  to  be  made  aware 


LANDSCAPE  IN  THE  SUDAN        49 

of  the  qualities  of  merissa  in  a  still  more  pronounced 
way  than  had  occurred  at  the  start  of  my  journey 
from  Singa  on  the  Blue  Nile,  where  my  otherwise 
more  or  less  virtuous  cook  had  become  a  chronic 
nuisance  to  the  neighbourhood. 

To  the  average  Englishman  who  has  not  strayed 
from  the  hedge-confined  country  of  his  own  land, 
it  is  a  little  difficult  to  form  a  mental  picture  of 
the  unrestricted  wildness  of  the  African  landscape. 
Yet  I  have  seen  spots  in  Scotland  which  might 
well  have  been  in  the  Sudan,  and  stretches  of  park- 
like, finely- timbered  land  in  Mid- Africa  which  might 
equally  well  have  surrounded  one  of  the  stately 
homes  of  England. 

In  Rhodesia  I  have  suddenly  emerged  from  thick 
bush  into  such  an  expanse  of  country,  the  long,  sun- 
dried,  yellow  grass  evenly  covering  an  undulating 
park,  dotted,  as  if  by  an  expert  landscape  gardener 
with  clumps  of  trees  or  wide- spreading  single  ones 
in  elegant  positions. 

But  in  the  Sudan  such  spots  are  rare.  The 
country,  as  a  rule,  is  either  too  dry  during  a  great 
portion  of  the  year,  or,  farther  south,  in  the  great 
swampy  regions,  too  wet.  It  is  annually  devastated 
by  destructive  grass  fires,  which  scorch  and  stunt 
the  trees,  leaving  the  deep-seated  grass  roots  un- 
harmed, and  manured  by  the  salts  of  the  burnt  ash. 

So  the  greater  part  of  the  bush  consists  of 
numberless  small,  straggly  specimens  of  the  various 
acacias,  sunt,  hashab,  talh,  and  kuk,  which  produce 
gum  arabic ;  and  the  fruit-trees   (sic),  lieglig  and 

4 


50  IN  A  LAND  DESERTED 

nabbuk.  In  certain  favoured  spots  one  will  find 
the  sunt  {Acacia  arabica)  particularly  well  grown, 
and  the  wood,  though  hard,  is  in  demand  as  timber 
and  firewood. 

Here  and  there  one  will  meet  specimens,  usually 
solitary  or  small  in  number,  of  the  few  trees  which 
are  stout  enough  to  resist  the  mighty  strength  of 
the  elephant :  the  baobab  or  tebeldi  tree,  often 
30  or  40  feet  round,  useless  as  timber ;  the  tall 
kuk-tree ;  and  the  tamarind,  with  its  medicinal 
fruit  and  welcome  shade. 

The  cheerful  Fadl  el  Mullah  betook  himself  to 
my  instruction  in  the  attributes  of  many  objects, 
handing  me  an  excess  of  the  small  round  fruit  of 
the  nabbuk,  whose  stone  is  surrounded  by  a  friable 
substance  of  neutral  taste,  which  came  in  useful  on 
at  least  one  occasion,  when  a  meal  was  in  the  far 
distance. 

Many  voided  stones  in  the  tracks  of  elephants 
showed  the  partiality  of  the  great  beast  for  the 
date-like  fi'uit  of  the  heglig,  called  lalub  by  my 
Arabs.  The  stone  is  large,  and  under  a  tough  skin 
is  covered  with  a  bitter-sweet,  astringent  substance, 
which  is  also  esteemed  by  the  natives  medicinally, 
while  the  kernel  is  productive  in  oil. 

Parties  passed  en  route  had  reported  much  game 
ahead,  but  such  reports  are  highly  unreliable  as  a 
rule,  and  made  in  order  to  please,  for  the  moment, 
the  unsophisticated  among  sportsmen. 

The  course  of  the  Dinder  here  is  erratic  in  the 
extreme,  winding  and  bending  round  upon  itself  in 


FEATURES  OF  THE  MARCH        51 

the  way  which  a  river  in  the  flat  Sudan  country  so 
well  knows  how  to  exhibit.  So  a  trek  across  country 
is  made,  and  the  difference  in  luxuriance  of  vegeta- 
tion is  instantly  manifest.  The  bush  becomes 
thinner,  and  the  grass  is  long  and  overwhelms  every- 
thing. Vast  areas  have  already  been  burnt,  and  the 
ash  partially  hides  the  multitudinous  cracks  in  the 
friable  "cotton  soil,"  rendering  walking  difficult  and 
mule-riding  a  torture  owing  to  continual  stumbles. 

This  soil  is  one  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  district ; 
scarcely  a  square  foot  of  it  is  without  a  deep  fissure 
interlacing  itself  with  others,  and  the  islets  crumble 
away  under  one's  weight.  In  the  rainy  season 
it  must  be  almost  impassable,  and  many  a  time 
and  oft  are  to  be  seen  the  huge  pits  caused  by 
elephants'  feet  sinking  deep  in  the  course  of  their 
meanderings. 

Here  we  took  our  first  long  walk,  the  mule  and 
donkey  being  led  gently  some  distance  behind, 
ready  to  stop  at  an  instant's  warning  on  game 
being  sighted.  It  was  early  in  the  morning,  and 
the  forest  resounded  with  the  voices  of  birds,  almost 
startling  in  their  strangeness  and  variety.  From 
one  quarter  came  the  shrill,  commanding  call  of  a 
policeman's  whistle  ;  everywhere  sounded  the  word 
catecherak  (Arabic  equivalent  for  "  thank  you "), 
repeated  with  emphasis  until  the  very  idea  of 
gratitude  became  nauseous  ;  the  crows  uttered  their 
strange  conversation,  varying  from  a  bubbling  noise 
to  a  squawk  and  a  double  note  in  minor  thirds, 
while  another  whistle  resembled  an  interrogative 

4—2 


52  IN  A  LAND  DESERTED 

"  Who  are  you  ?"  Oribi  gazelle  leapt,  and,  slim  as 
greyhounds,  darted  among  bushes  and  grass  tufts — 
on  one  occasion  failing  to  do  so  before  a  bullet  had 
laid  a  pretty  creature  low. 

As  the  sun  crept  higher  in  the  heavens  the  bird- 
voices  gradually  ceased,  walking  became  more 
onerous,  and  the  canvas  bag  of  cold  tea  carried  by 
the  mule  was  much  sought  after. 

But  heat,  thirst,  and  fatigue,  were  on  the  instant 
forgotten  when  Ibrahim,  peeping  over  the  river- 
bank,  was  seen  to  crouch  suddenly  low,  signalling 
wildly  for  my  approach,  then  stealthily  raising  his 
head  to  keep  his  eye  on  a  moving  black  line  of 
animals  some  hundreds  of  yards  up  the  river-bed. 
"  Gamoos "  (buffalo),  whispered  Ibrahim.  As  we 
looked  they  trotted  slowly  up  a  large  khor,  and  we 
retreated  hastily,  to  take  a  short  cut  to  intercept 
them.  Descending  into  the  river-bed,  where  the 
heat  radiated  from  the  sand  was  terrific,  we 
followed  the  tracks  into  a  large  extent  of  grass 
which  towered  above  our  heads.  Here  our  passage 
was  only  made  possible  by  the  fact  that  our  quarry 
had  passed  before,  and  we  emerged,  covered  with 
crawling,  black  grass  ticks,  to  find  it  had  vanished 
beyond  the  bank  into  the  recesses  of  the  bush, 
where  we  failed  to  overtake  it. 

I  lay  exhausted  under  a  tree  while  word  was  sent 
back  to  camp  for  lunch,  regardless  of  the  fact  that 
the  ground  was  soft  with  black  ashes  ;  little  cared 
I  for  the  colour  of  my  clothes.  Ibraliim,  also  half 
dead  with  thirst,  still  employed  himself  by  seeking 


THE  WARNING  OF  AN  ENEMY     53 

and  returning  with  that  mocker  of  a  dried-up  palate 
— wild  honey,  Just  as  we  fail  to  locate  a  face  in 
an  unexpected  spot,  which  would  be  immediately 
named  in  its  own  surroundings,  so  were  the  contents 
of  a  bottle  brought  by  Abid  a  matter  of  speculation 
to  me.  Taking  a  long  and  thirsty  draught,  I  was 
instantly  aware  that  it  was  some  strange  and  un- 
accustomed beverage.  An  inquiring  look  brought 
from  Abid  the  remark,  "  Sherba,"  and  I  awoke 
to  the  fact  that,  taken  in  bulk,  one  discovers  an 
entirely  different — and  unpleasing — impression  of 
the  desirability  of  soup. 

A  leopard  made  his  presence  known  at  night, 
and  the  fires  were  more  carefully  attended  to, 
though  it  was  noticeable  that  as  the  journey  wore 
on,  even  though  lion  paid  us  attention,  the  men 
grew  more  and  more  careless  in  keeping  the  fires 
bright.  Weird  are  the  night  noises  of  the  bush, 
and  one  falls  asleep  trying  to  translate  them. 

Climatic  conditions  vary  here  as  elsewhere  :  one 
day  is  sultry  and  oppressive  in  its  shimmering, 
burning  stillness ;  on  another  a  cool  breeze  robs  the 
sun-heat  of  its  scorch  and  puts  elasticity  into  one's 
limbs.  Even  the  soft  sand  of  the  river-bed  seems 
less  impeding,  and  energy  revives. 

Near  Kantarow  we  passed  through  khors  where 
the  forest  was  very  thick,  and  old  elephant  spoor 
was  visible  everywhere.  A  reed-buck  lost  the 
protection  of  its  colour  by  venturing  on  an  area  of 
black,  burnt  land,  but  retired  into  long  elephant 
grass  on  observing  me  in  a  like  predicament. 


54  IN  A  LAND  DESERTED 

Time  after  time,  travelling  well  back  from  the 
bank,  a  cautious  peep  was  given  over  its  brink, 
and  at  last  a  herd  of  ariel  (Soemmering's  gazelle) 
showed  up  unexpectedly  on  the  other  side  of  a 
long  pool,  but  out  of  range.  Large  crocodiles  slid 
into  the  water  as  they  sighted  us,  but  the  lust  of 
the  chase  rendered  them  unattractive. 

Far  across,  in  the  midst  of  the  river  of  sand — here 
perhaps  half  a  mile  wide — was  a  stranded  tree, 
brought  down  by  the  summer  floods  and  left  at 
the  edge  of  the  water.  I  crossed  laboriously  to  it, 
finding  a  snug  retreat  under  its  fallen  trunk  and 
branches  which  demonstrated  a  prior  occupant. 
Much  buck  spoor  was  to  be  seen  around  it,  but  on 
the  moister  sand  of  the  pool  limit  was  the  impres- 
sion of  the  great  pad  of  the  King  of  Cats,  fresh  as  if 
just  made.  I  had  inadvertently  stumbled  upon  a 
lair  where  lion  could  lie  at  ease  in  wait  for  the 
antelope  as  they  came  for  their  daily  drink. 

The  far  side  was  densely  w^ooded,  and  the  guinea- 
fowl  scuttled  away  in  hundreds  as  passage  was 
slowly  made  through  it.  For  the  time  I  was 
alone,  and  at  length  rested  quietly  for  my  men  to 
arrive.  It  was  well  that  this  was  so,  for,  becoming 
aware  of  movement  in  the  bush,  I  glanced  up  to  see, 
stringing  slowly  through  the  tangle  of  vegetation, 
a  herd  of  the  lovely  ariel.  So  charming  was  the 
sight  tliat  I  was  reluctant  to  spoil  it,  and  watched 
the  first  few  pass  before  I  awoke  to  a  sense  of  my 
needs.  Firing  at  one,  which  fell  dead,  I  kept  still 
while  the  herd  first  gazed  astonished,  searching  for 


FIRST  BLOOD  55 

the  enemy,  and  as  I  pressed  the  trigger  a  second 
time  the  bush  became  ahve  with  the  graceful  forms, 
two  remaining  behind. 

The  Arabs  hurried  to  the  spot  at  the  sound  of 
the  shots.  Ibrahim,  Fadl  el  Mullah,  and  Abdullah 
exploded  with  hysterics  of  delight,  giving  vent  to 
howls  and  yells  which  conveyed  the  tidings  of  this 
very  unextraordinary  success  to  the  camel-drivers  a 
mile  away.  The  throats  of  the  animals  were  cut 
before  I  could  get  up  to  them.  No  matter  how 
often  one  may  tell  one's  shikaris,  they  will  inevit- 
ably cut  them  close  to  the  jaw  if  one  be  not  present 
in  time,  and  such  was  the  case  in  this  instance. 

Fat  as  butter  and  as  heavy  as  a  man,  they  were 
soon  skinned  and  dressed  and  en  route  for  camp  on 
a  camel's  back  ;  but  the  fat  from  the  back  above  the 
tail  was  taken  out  and  roasted  instantly,  proving 
not  altogether  untasty  in  this  land  of  lean  food. 


CHAPTER   IV 

SPORT  BY  THE  RIVER 

Fadl  el  Mullah,  the  cheerful  fool,  was  full  of 
good  intentions  as  a  result  of  the  prospect  of  a 
meat  dinner.  He  filled  my  pockets  with  nabbuk 
fruit,  and  picked  the  grass  ticks  off  my  clothes 
before  they  had  time  to  burrow  their  heads  into  my 
skin.  It  is  somewhat  of  a  puzzle  to  account  for 
the  existence  of  so  many  myriads  when  one  esti- 
mates the  chance  of  an  individual  tick  finding  a 
suitable  lodging  on  the  rare  examples  of  mankind, 
and,  comparatively  speaking,  none  too  numerous 
beasts,  that  pass  within  his  limited  reach. 

Often  the  men  picked  for  my  inspection  masses 
of  the  gum  seen  exuding  from  the  bark  of  many 
of  the  acacias.  This  remains  ungathered  in  this 
district,  partly  owing  to  the  depopulation  of  the 
country,  and  also  to  the  competition  of  the  superior 
article  yielded  in  Kordofan,  where  it  provides  an 
emormous  industry. 

In  so  many  tropical  countries,  subject  to  intense 
alternations  between  drought  and  wet,  or  more  or 
less  to  drought  only,  it  is  noticeable  how  inadequate 

56 


THE  PAINTED  FOREST  57 

is  the  shade  given  by  the  trees.  Scanty  as  is  the 
provision  of  leaves,  the  Australian  gum-trees  (which 
do  not  seem  to  flourish  in  the  Sudan)  present  their 
leaf-edges  to  the  sun,  and  the  hand  of  Nature  seems 
turned  against  the  animal  kingdom.  So  in  the 
Sudan,  the  shade  cast  by  trees  in  general  is  of  the 
most  meagre  quality. 

One  species  of  acacia,  the  talh,  wears  a  strange 
aspect.  In  some  localities  it  might  be  thought 
that  industrious  arboriculturists  had  taken  extra- 
ordinary trouble  and  care  to  paint  the  trees  from 
their  base  up  to  the  topmost  branching  twig  with  a 
preparation  of  whitewash  and  sulphur,  easily  dis- 
lodged and  staringly  white.  Such  is  the  appearance 
of  the  bark,  which  annually  peels,  and  the  nearly 
leafless  forests  are  weird  where  these  warped  and 
straggling  trees  abound.  Another  variety  is,  in  as 
vivid  a  fashion,  tinted  an  Indian  red,  and  in  many 
instances  large  globules  of  gum  are  seen  exuding 
from  the  bark. 

The  stifling  atmosphere  as  the  wind  dropped  gave 
little  incentive  to  move,  even  when  the  bank,  a  few 
hundred  yards  away,  became  alive  with  small,  black, 
moving  objects.  The  guinea-fowl  were  in  thousands 
in  their  progress  to  the  pools  for  their  evening 
drink.  These  birds  appear  to  be  widely  spread  over 
Africa,  and  are  equally  numerous  in  the  Northern 
Transvaal  and  Rhodesia.  Wary  and  keen-sighted, 
they  afford  both  sport  and  provision  for  the  pot. 
The  grilled  breast  of  a  young  bird  is  by  no  means 
to  be  despised  on  the  early  morning  trek.      The 


58  SPORT  BY  THE  RIVER 

leopard  also  takes  his  toll  of  their  numbers,  seizing 
them  at  night  as  they  roost  in  the  bushes. 

In  the  early  days  of  Rhodesia,  when  the  memory 
of  Lobengula  still  was  fresh,  travel  was  done  in  less 
luxurious  fashion  than  in  the  Sudan  of  to-day — or, 
at  least,  in  those  parts  where  pack-animals  can  be 
employed.  Long  tramps  with  porters  may  be 
recalled,  with  a  minimum  of  impedimenta ;  no 
camp-bed,  no  canvas  bath,  no  cook  or  attendant, 
but  merely  the  sheepskin  kaross  on  the  hard 
ground,  the  tins  of  bully  beef,  the  billy  and 
kettle  for  the  provision  of  a  hard-earned  meal, 
and  the  rampart  of  baggage  and  thorns  to  give  a 
semblance  of  protection  in  the  darkness  ot  the  night. 

Here  the  hot  bath  awaits  one's  return,  the  bath- 
room being  bounded  by  a  curtain  hung  up  on  one 
side,  and  the  wide  world  on  three  others,  a  large 
grass  mat  serving  as  a  carpet.  In  place  of  bully 
beef,  or  "road  rations,"  stewed  by  oneself  at  the 
close  of  a  tiring  day,  the  dinner  is  ready  to  time, 
served  on  a  white  tablecloth.  Use  and  custom  are 
everything.  In  an  incredibly  short  time  after  the 
end  of  a  march,  Abid  would  scrape  a  narrow  hole 
in  the  ground,  light  a  fire,  and,  placing  two  irons 
across  it,  prepare  a  meal,  say,  of  soup,  ariel  tongue 
and  onions,  fillet  of  reed-buck,  blanc-mange  and 
prunes. 

The  failure  so  often  is  the  bread,  which  the  Arab 
insists  on  making  with  yeast,  in  tins  and  as  heavy 
as  lead,  whereas  in  Rhodesia  one  made  excellent 
loaves  with  the  aid  of  baking-powder  and  an  ant- 


THE  FULLNESS  OF  THE  VOID      59 

hill  oven,  or  "  Kaffir  pot,"  kept  well  covered  with 
the  dying  embers  of  the  sweet-smelling  wood  fire. 

Wad  Mustapha  was  a  spot  much  looked  forward 
to  by  my  shikaris,  eager,  always  eager  as  they  were 
for  meat.  Sir  Samuel  Baker  was  once  more  brought 
to  mind,  for  he  wrote  of  the  retreat  of  hippopotami 
from  the  Rahad  to  the  Binder.  Here  w^e  were  to 
find  them  ;  and  on  our  way  a  reed-buck,  one  of  the 
most  graceful  of  the  Afi'ican  antelopes,  dashed 
lightly  through  the  trees,  and,  stopping  through 
a  fatal  curiosity  to  examine  the  intruders,  paid  its 
debt  to  Nature. 

Far  from  the  river-bank  the  camels  halted,  and 
careful  advance  was  made  to  the  fringe  of  bush,  the 
luxuriance  of  which  proclaimed  once  more  the  river, 
which  our  short  cut  had  left  to  meander  through 
miles  of  straggling  curves.  Elephant  spoor  was,  as 
usual,  in  plenty,  and  any  part  of  the  thick,  tangled 
scrub  might  have  held  one.  Paths,  irregular  and 
many-branched,  had  been  trodden  into  being  by 
mighty  feet,  rendering  progi-ess  easy  ;  yet  they  were 
narrow,  and  breast-high  grass  concealed  all  else. 

Far  below,  a  careful  glance  revealed  a  still,  deep 
pool,  so  large  that  neither  end  was  visible,  and 
stretching  from  bank  to  bank.  Crocodiles  lay  stone- 
still  on  a  sandy  pit  upstream ;  no  ripple  showed 
upon  the  water  nor  movement  stirred  the  air.  All 
was  quiet ;  peace  and  rest  was  upon  the  world. 
Yet,  as  is  so  often  the  case  in  the  affairs  of  man 
also,  this  tranquillity  hid  the  whirlwind  ;  the  void  in 
reality  was  full. 


60  SPORT  BY  THE  RIVER 

One  feels  virtue  in  the  killing  of  the  crocodile  as 
of  the  snake,  the  enemies  of  all  creation  ;  and,  with 
the  wish  to  make  atonement  for  the  death  of  the 
inoffensive  antelope,  I  moved  gently  forward  to 
gain  a  position  of  vantage.  What  was  the  streak 
of  ruddy  light  that  burst  noiselessly  from  the 
shade  and  concentrated  quivering  in  the  path 
ahead  ? 

Crouched  to  the  ground,  tensely  gathering  its 
limbs  beneath  it,  gripping  the  soil  in  purchase  for 
its  spring,  a  leopard  faced  me  50  yards  away.  Into 
so  small  a  compass  did  he  bestow  his  body  that 
little  but  his  head  was  visible,  and  an  advance  of  a 
few  yards  was  made  before  I  knelt  and  fii-ed.  He 
shrank  together  once  more ;  an  instant  elapsed 
before  I  could  align  my  second  barrel,  and  the 
magnificent,  wicked  beauty  turned  in  a  flash  and 
leapt  over  the  bordering  grass,  showing  for  a 
moment,  broadside,  all  the  rich  colouring  of  his 
coat. 

It  is  well  to  have  a  familiar  in  times  of  trial, 
however  conscious  one  is  of  defects,  to  give  assur- 
ance that  it  was  not  really  one's  fault,  and  the 
shikaris  kindly,  though  quite  incorrectly,  suggested 
that  a  twig  turned  the  ball.  But  a  small  piece  of 
ruddy  fur  remaining  on  the  ground  showed  how 
narrow  was  the  escape. 

It  could  not  be  expected  that  Mr.  Crocodile 
would  remain  undisturbed  by  so  unhallowed  an 
interruption  of  his  siesta,  and  his  menacing  snout 
was  all  that  showed  as  he  momentarily  rose  to  in- 


BEHEMOTH  EMERGES  61 

vestigate.  So  a  shady  bush  was  sought  and  an 
hour  passed,  while  the  sun  mounted  higher  and 
higher.  I  fell  to  watching  the  multitude  of  birds 
arriving  on  fresh-burnt  ground  on  the  far  side.  The 
gravely  deliberate  marabout  stork,  with  swallow-tail 
coat  and  bald  head,  seriously  regarded  the  ground, 
as  if  with  an  interest  scientific  rather  than  pre- 
datory. Kites  hovered  incessantly  over  the  flames, 
which  crackled  viciously  in  our  ears,  and  dashed 
carelessly  through  the  smoke  on  to  some  scorched 
mouse.  Crows  and  cranes  joined  gaily  in  the  sport, 
and  the  air  was  full  of  the  burnt  fragments  of 
black  ash. 

In  the  midst  of  my  lazy  reverie,  a  breathing, 
bubbling  sound  burst  oddly  on  my  hearing,  the 
water  stirred,  and  a  huge,  black  head  rose  from  the 
depths  of  the  pool  beneath ;  cumbrously  it  turned 
and  opened  its  jaws  in  a  vast,  phlegmatic  yawn. 
Others  became  visible  around  it,  and  the  hippo  herd 
we  had  almost  mourned  as  absent  was  before  our 
eyes. 

It  is  poor  sport  to  shoot  the  beasts  in  water  from 
the  bank  thus,  and  can  only  be  justified  by  the 
desire  for  a  specimen  head,  by  their  ravages  in  native 
crops,  or  by  imperative  need  of  meat  for  natives. 
Certainly  an  old  bull  is  no  mean  antagonist ;  he 
will  charge  determinedly  if  he  sees  the  opportunity, 
and  is  a  desperate  enemy  to  the  small  boats  or 
canoes  which  may  designedly  or  otherwise  approach 
too  near.  But  civilization  is  against  him  ;  the  heavy 
rifle  has  robbed  him  of  his  chances,  and  he  is  dis- 


62  SPORT  BY  THE  RIVER 

appearing,  save  in  tlie  trackless  wastes  of  the  marsh 
country  and  the  remoter  rivers. 

The  head  of  a  hippopotamus  is  not  quite  the 
easy  mark  it  might  appear  to  be.  As  a  rule,  it  is 
sunk  low  in  the  water,  with  the  nostrils  just  above 
the  surface,  and  the  brain-box  rises  only  3  or 
4  inches  higher.  At  100  yards  distance  it  is  there- 
fore necessary  to  be  tolerably  accurate,  for  a  bullet 
through  any  part  but  the  brain  would  merely  annoy 
him  and  cause  a  hasty  retreat  below  the  surface, 
whence  he  would  return  for  an  occasional  breath 
and  inomentary  glance  to  ascertain  the  position  of 
affairs  before  diving  into  safety  again. 

My  bullet  found  its  way  right  up  the  snout,  and 
he  rolled  about  on  the  surface,  mortally  wounded, 
until  a  second  shot  pierced  his  brain,  and  he  sank 
like  a  stone  on  the  farther  side. 

The  midday  trudge  three  hours  later  over  the 
hampering  sand  of  the  dry  river-bed,  roimding  the 
far  end  of  the  pool,  the  stifling  heat  radiated  by  the 
elephant  grass,  which  met  well  above  our  heads  as 
we  passed  single  file  along  tracks  made  by  wild 
animals,  must  be  experienced  to  be  appreciated. 
Happy  the  black  man,  whose  pigmented  skin  pro- 
tects him  partially  from  the  effects  of  hght  and 
heat  rays  ! 

Forty  yards  away  from  the  foot  of  the  steep 
river-bank  floated  the  great  carcass,  strangely  little 
of  it  visible.  To  leave  it  longer  would  be  to  let  it 
become  the  prey  of  the  swarming  crocodiles,  whom 
my  Arabs  now  prepared  to  dare.     I  took  the  pre- 


UETUIEVIXC    Tin-:    HIPPO. 


XOOSIXC;    A    WOl'XDKI)     Illl'I'O. 


To  face  page  62. 


HUMAN  RETRIEVERS  68 

caution  of  firing  a  few  shots  into  the  water  to  scare 
the  reptiles,  and  with  much  shouting  and  splashing 
Fadl  el  Mullah  swam  out  with  a  rope,  a  second 
man  following.  The  society  of  the  timsagh,  as  the 
Arabs  name  the  crocodile,  appeared  to  be  an  occasion 
of  hilarious  amusement ;  laughter  and  jests  filled 
the  air  as  the  body  rolled  over  on  their  mounting  it. 

Far  away  south  in  the  "  sudd  "  districts  of  the 
Mountain  Nile,  where  the  river  sluggishly  flows 
through  interminable  deserts  of  papyrus  swamp, 
opening  out  here  and  there  into  wide  lagoons, 
I  had  remarked  the  indifference  of  the  Sudanese 
to  the  presence  of  crocodiles,  and  their  cool 
behaviour  under  dangerous  circumstances.  On 
one  occasion  a  scene  took  place  which  is  exciting 
enough  on  the  wounding  of  a  hippo,  when  a 
man  jumped  overboard  with  a  rope,  and  actually 
climbed  on  the  animal  to  cast  a  noose  over  its  head 
— succeeding  eventually,  after  much  dodging  and 
struggle.  Often,  too,  would  the  men  engaged  in 
cutting  the  channel  clear  of  the  vegetable  growth 
carelessly  swim  from  one  sandal  to  another,  think- 
ing little  of  their  rapacious  enemies,  the  crocodiles 
and  snakes. 

On  another  occasion,  on  the  same  river,  having 
shot  a  crocodile — whether  killed  or  wounded  I 
could  not  say — a  huge  negroid  Arab,  Sheikh  by 
name,  calmly  skipped  overboard  into  the  shallow 
water  and  fished  about  with  his  feet,  regardless  of 
possibilities. 

But  thoughts  are  recalled  to  present  events  on 


64  SPORT  BY  THE  RIVER 

the  Dinder ;  willing  hands  helped  to  pull  the 
lassoed  hippo  ashore,  and  towed  him  a  mile  along 
the  steep,  shelving  bank,  and  across  the  far  end  of 
the  pool,  to  our  camp. 

Up  the  bank  we,  on  the  other  hand,  returned  for 
the  purpose  of  diving  through  the  long  grass  we 
had  passed  through,  and  to  search  the  country  for 
other  game.  But  the  sight  that  met  the  eye 
was  surprising.  In  the  interval  the  whole  land- 
scape had  undergone  an  almost  theatrical  "  quick 
change." 

For  hundreds  of  acres,  save  for  a  belt  through 
which  we  had  passed  when  coming,  in  place  of 
the  rank,  hay-coloured  grass  half  smothering  the 
stunted  trees,  the  ground  was  bare  and  black, 
smouldering  and  smoking,  little  clouds  rising  from 
still  live  patches  of  fire.  At  the  sides  and  ex- 
tremities of  the  area,  still  extending  to  the  river- 
bank,  the  vermilion  flames  leapt  30  feet  into  the 
air,  running  up  the  trees  and  devouring  the  dry 
creeping  plants  which  enswathed  them.  For  the 
time  we  were  cut  off  from  retreat,  and  nothing 
remained  but  to  wait,  sheltering  from  the  heat, 
and  to  spend  the  time  watching  other  hippos  care- 
fully rise  to  take  stock  of  us,  and  the  birds  wheeling 
excitedly  through  the  smoke  cloud. 

At  one  spot  the  flames  died  down  for  the  moment ; 
in  another  instant  they  might  burst  out  again  and 
rage  at  their  fiercest.  We  sprang  over  the  line  of 
fire  into  the  opening  of  a  game  track,  and,  with 
Gehenna  now  at  our  heels,  walked  smartly  through 


THE  BUFFALO  SCORES  65 

the  grass,  turning  a  sharp  corner Halt !     Five 

yards  away,  the  rest  of  the  body  hidden  in  a  bush 
and  grass,  and  quite  invisible,  vv^ere  part  of  the  hind- 
quarters of  a  huge,  uncouth,  recumbent  animal, 
black-skinned  and  sparsely  covered  with  short  hair. 
A  bull  buffalo  was  resting  in  the  heat  of  the  day, 
and  had  passed  along  this  track  before  us.  No 
vital  spot  was  visible,  no  approach  from  elsewhere 
showed  itself ;  the  cane-like  grass  stems  gave  scarce 
elbow-room  on  either  side  ;  with  the  fire  behind  us, 
it  was  backward  or  forward,  with  only  a  second's 
respite  for  choice  of  plans.  I  quietly  retreated  a 
few  yards  to  a  fork  in  the  track,  the  men  firing  the 
grass,  having  no  choice  but  to  leave  the  buffalo  to 
leeward  as  we  went. 

The  ground  was  clear  outside,  and  from  a 
convenient  point  I  awaited  with  my  'SOS  the  on- 
rush of  the  flames  and  of  a  furious  bull,  left  only 
40  yards  away. 

The  flames  marched  forward,  and,  drowned  by 
their  roaring  crackle,  one  could  hear  no  rustle  of 
the  grass  ;  the  patch  was  burnt  out,  and  from  our 
sad  eyes  the  big  black  brute  had  vanished.  I  had 
trusted  to  the  smoke  from  the  fire  of  the  grass 
masking  our  scent  as  we  skirted  round  him,  but  he 
doubtless  knew  perfectly  well  each  detail  of  our 
movements. 

The  sense  of  smell  in  this  animal  is  developed  to 
an  extraordinary  extent,  and,  combined  with  great 
cunning  and  savageness,  probably  justifies  him  in 
being  classed  one  of  the  most  dangerous  of  the 

5 


66  SPORT  BY  THE  RIVER 

world's  big  game.  It  is  stated  that  he  has  been 
known  to  double  back  parallel  with  his  spoor  in 
order  to  take  his  hunter  in  the  rear  as  the  latter 
followed  the  trail,  and  both  he  and  the  elephant 
are  prone,  more  particularly  when  wounded,  to 
indulge  in  a  systematic  search  for  their  enemy, 
by  circling  to  catch  his  wind. 

The  hide  is  exceedingly  tough,  and  solid  bullets 
are  essential ;  cordite  and  nickel-cased  bullets  render 
Sos  Caffer  less  formidable  than  in  the  days  when 
Baker  shot  with  black  powder  and  a  muzzle-loader, 
but  in  a  buffalo  killed  on  the  White  Nile  one  of  my 
bullets  was  found  hanging  outside,  with  its  nose  just 
bedded  in  the  hide. 

There  is  an  amount  of  uncertainty  in  the  dis- 
positions of  buffalo,  and  the  way  they  are  likely  to 
behave  when  approached  by  the  hunter,  which  adds 
greatly  to  the  interest  of  following  them. 

Some  will  bolt  on  the  instant  that  their  acute 
senses  make  them  aware  of  danger  ;  individuals 
may  charge  on  sight,  or  the  whole  herd  come  down 
in  a  mighty  rush.  I  remember,  on  one  occasion, 
the  crossing  of  a  swamp,  knee-deep  and  full  of  bent 
and  tangled  reeds  and  the  pit-holes  formed  by  hippo 
feet,  with  the  herd  I  was  stalking  on  the  dry  land 
just  before  me ;  I  recall  the  eerie  sensation  that, 
should  the  herd  employ  concerted  action,  they 
would  take  seconds  to  cover  that  swamp  where  I 
could  only  painfully  struggle  along.  But  as  the 
black  heads  turned  to  gaze  at  my  companion  and 
myself  our  rifles  spoke ;  two  wounded  ones,  hard 


GAME  RESTRICTIONS  ON  NATIVES     67 

hit,  separated  from  the  fleeting  herd  and  awaited 
our  oncoming.  One  charged  determinedly  with 
head  outstretched  as  we  drew  close,  but  fell  to  a 
second  shot  before  getting  10  yards  nearer. 

Natives  are  under  very  special  restrictions  in 
regard  to  the  killing  of  game,  but  are  necessarily 
exempted  from  punishment  when  they  can  show 
that  they  have  acted  in  defence  of  their  crops  or 
their  lives. 

They  may  employ  no  firearm  even  if  licensed  to 
kill  game,  but  subject  to  this  may  hunt  any  of  the 
animals  and  birds  which  are  not  specially  protected, 
as  are  the  ostrich  and  others.  On  the  other  hand, 
a  special  licence  may  be  granted  which  empowers 
them  to  kill  these  animals,  a  right  which  is  denied 
the  white  man. 

These  hmitations  are  in  truth  very  hberal,  and  yet 
exceedingly  necessary ;  otherwise  it  would  be  almost 
futile,  in  the  preservation  of  game,  to  place  restric- 
tions on  the  comparatively  small  number  of  alien 
sportsmen,  if  hordes  of  natives  with  the  increased 
facilities  of  the  European  had  cai^te  blanche.  Natu- 
rally, in  a  vast  area  where  officials  are  few,  and  many 
thousands  of  square  miles  have  scarcely  seen  a  white 
man,  it  is  to  be  expected  that  complete  enforcement 
of  these  regulations  is  by  no  means  possible. 

The  cutting  up  of  that  hippo  occupied  the 
remaining  hours  of  the  day,  and  it  was  marvellous 
with  what  celerity  the  tough  skin,  an  inch  and  a 
quarter  thick,  was  taken  off"  and  cut  into  strips  for 
converting  eventually  into  the  kurbash,  or  whip.    I 

5—2 


68  SPORT  BY  THE  RIVEK 

instructed  the  men  to  cut  the  head  from  the  body 
for  the  purpose  of  preservation ;  so.  in  the  character- 
istic native  way  of  doing  things  backwards  they 
proceeded  to  cut  the  body  off  from  the  head  by  the 
simple  means  of  disraanthng  the  carcass  and  leavmg 
the  head  until  last. 

This  perverseness  of  the  Arab  or  Berben  servant 
gives  rise  to  sincere  exasperation  in  tornd  Africa; 
the  following  would  constitute  an  adequate  testi- 
monial in  the  majority  of  instances : 

"  Mustapha  has  been  on  safaria  with  me  for  three 
months.  His  is  a  most  excellent  example  of  the 
well-known  characteristics  of  the  Bcrberi  servant 
and  employers  pleased  with  them  will  be  delighted 

with  Mustapha.  , 

"  He  is  quite  strong,  and  too  much  work  cannot  be 
given  him  ;  in  fact,  the  best  way  to  keep  him  happy 
and  contented  is  to  give  him  a  great  deal  to  do,  and 
to  see  that  he  does  it.  There  is  no  need  to  talk 
gently  to  him  ;  the  most  lurid  command  is  obeyed 

with  alacrity.  , 

"  While  he  has  not  yet  the  experience  and  know- 
ledge of  a  highly  trahied  European  valet,  from 
whose  views  and  methods  he  would  probably  difler 
radically,  he  has  learnt  something  from  me,  and  ha 
gratuitously  received  valuable  advice  from  officers 
resident  in  the  country  as  to  his  personal  manners 
and  conception  of  his  duties. 

"  His  knowledge  of  English  is  small.be.ng  confaned 
to  a  few  explicit  words  of  which  he  has  inteUigently 
and  quickly  grasped  the  meaning.     He  will  doubt- 


THK    mi'l'O    ASHOltK, 


KKADV    TO    HE    CUT    Ul'. 


To  face  page  6S. 


THE  BERBEKI  VALET  69 

less  add  to  this  knowledge  with  facility  under  future 
employers.  He  will  before  long  attain  a  perfection 
which  will  prevent  him  from  drawing  corks  with 
his  teeth,  offering  the  spout  of  the  teapot  rather 
than  the  handle,  and  a  shirt  inside  out,  and  will 
refrain  from  the  hitherto  invariable  practice  of 
putting  tlie  wrong  legging  on  the  wrong  leg.  The 
complimentary  term  Magnun  adequately  describes 
him,  and  his  greatest  virtue  lies  in  the  fact  that  he 
does  not  snore,  a  valuable  consideration  when  on 
safarkir 

But  little  of  that  hippopotamus  was  left  for  the 
crocodiles,  hyaenas,  or  leopards,  that  night ;  indeed, 
the  utilization  of  nearly  all  parts,  internal  economy 
included,  was  an  instruction  to  fastidious  European 
taste.  Strip  by  strip  was  cut  away  from  the  huge 
joints  and  hung  on  improvised  rails  well  above  the 
reach  of  four-footed  marauders,  to  dry  into  biltong 
which  would  serve  my  camp-followers  for  weeks  to 
come  in  their  villages  far  behind. 

By  the  evening  of  the  next  day  the  presence  of 
the  biltong  had  become  impressive,  but  the  Arab 
in  these  matters  has  no  nose  ;  neither  camel  nor 
semi-putrefaction  are  existent  to  him. 

Many  are  the  long  walks  undertaken,  yielding  all 
the  incidents,  or  lack  of  them,  which  come  to  the 
fortune  of  a  hunter.  The  shikari  stops  in  his  tracks 
and  examines  the  ground,  which  may  contain  little, 
if  any,  meaning  to  an  untrained  eye ;  a  whispered 
debate  ensues,  and  while  beaters  make  for  one  end 
of  a  narrow  island  in  the  dry  river-bed,  I  make 


70  SPORT  BY  THE  RIVER 

down  wind  to  the  other,  and  wait  for  flames  to 
drive  out  the  buffalo,  whose  tracks  evidence  his 
very  recent  presence  and  probable  hiding-place. 
The  notes  of  most  hunters  probably  contain  more 
records  of  game  which  they  did  not  successfully 
stalk  than  of  that  brought  back  to  camp ;  but  in 
all  sport  the  same  story  is  told,  and  at  the  end  of  a 
season  one  feels  that,  after  all,  blanks  and  disappoint- 
ments go  to  make  keener  the  pleasurable  recollec- 
tion of  rewards  hard  earned.  So,  if  the  buffalo  did 
not  appear,  there  was  the  joy  of  marking  the  clean 
leap  of  the  reed-buck  or  oribi,  the  careful  stroll  of 
ariel  or  waterbuck  feeding  on  the  edges  of  mayas 
(swamps  dried  up  at  this  season),  the  new  spoor  of 
elephant  on  grass-land  burnt  but  yesterday,  or  the 
hyaena  slinking  away  in  the  distance. 

"Malesh"  (Never  mind)  one  mutters,  and  gravi- 
tates nearer  to  the  peace  of  mind  enjoyed  by  him 
who  has  secured  all  the  trophies  which  his  heart 
desires,  in  whom  the  instinct  of  the  chase  has  died 
down,  and  who  may  await  the  appearance  of  wild 
creatures  with  the  calm  interest  of  a  naturalist  and 
student.  Many  a  time  and  oft  has  the  absence  of 
a  striking  head  of  horns  given  me  the  opportunity 
of  laying  aside  the  rifle  to  give  myself  up  to  admira- 
tion of  the  "  bonnie  beasties  "  which  it  seems  heart- 
less to  slay,  here  living,  watchful  ever,  in  the  beauty 
of  freedom. 

The  hippopotami  deserted  their  pool  that  night. 
Their  tracks  were  plainly  visible  in  the  black  cotton 
soil,  and  were  lost  in  the  harder  ground  farther  in 


CROCODILE  SHOOTING  71 

the  bush.  Silently  the  lumbering  animals  had  de- 
parted ;  the  night  had  yielded  no  sound  to  us  as 
we  rested,  and  they  had  marched  to  some  remem- 
bered spot  where  man  was  less  likely  to  harass. 
Ereif  el  Dik,  across  a  long  neck  of  land  round 
which  the  river  had  almost  doubled  on  itself,  had 
been  scorned  by  them  and  left  to  the  crocodiles. 
The  latter  are  by  no  means  easy  to  recover  when 
shot.  One  hears  the  bullet  strike  the  hard  armour 
with  a  sounding  whack,  causing  what  are  apparently 
lifeless  tree -stumps  to  waken  into  astounding, 
slithering  activity,  fretting  the  water  into  muddy 
waves  as  they  seek  refuge,  and  leaving  one,  perhaps, 
shot  through  brain  or  neck,  writhing  in  its  last 
agony.  But  more  often,  if  the  bullet  has  not 
touched  an  instantly  vital  spot,  the  movement  of 
the  tail  causes  the  animal  to  be  caught  by  the  slow 
river-current,  or  is  sufficient  to  take  it  entirely  into 
the  water  in  which  it  already  half  lies. 

Here  the  country  is  somewhat  more  undulating ; 
no  hills  relieve  the  landscape,  but  occasional  deep 
khors  tell  of  swift-rushing  torrents,  adding  fury  to 
the  summer  flood.  What  now  are  eminences  by 
the  side  of  the  river,  with  gullies  to  landward, 
high  above  river-bed,  are  islands  or  shoals  later  on. 
The  rise  of  the  water  is  amazing,  and  at  Singa, 
where  the  banks  vary  from  50  to  70  feet  above 
water  in  winter,  it  becomes  necessary  to  use  a 
felucca  to  traverse  the  lower  part  of  the  town  area. 

At  these  times  travel,  even  on  service,  is  im- 
practicable, and  mankind  stops  at  home,  mending 


72  SPORT  BY  THE  RIVER 

leaky  roofs  as  well  as  may  be,  while  the  wild  beasts 
may  be  pitied !  It  is  the  elephant,  judging  from 
his  tracks,  who  appears  to  feel  least  inconvenience, 
for  the  deep-sunk  holes  show  that  he  wanders  far 
and  wide. 

Fortunately  for  man  •  and  the  softer  -  skinned 
animals,  though  the  rain  comes  as  a  deluge,  it  does 
not  last  long  at  a  time,  and  there  are  intervals  of 
bright  sunshine.  The  rank  grass  doubtless  forms 
some  kind  of  protection  to  such  fragile  creatures 
as  oribi,  but  one  would  expect  the  wart-hogs  to  be 
droA^Tied  in  the  holes  they  find  cover  in  during  the 
winter. 

The  wart-hog  is  a  common  beast  in  many  parts 
of  the  Sudan.  Of  ugly  heads,  his  is  the  ugliest ; 
dark  slatey-brown  in  colour,  he  is  disfigured  by  an 
excrescence  on  either  cheek  behind  the  curling,  pro- 
truding tushes.  Right  in  my  path,  from  around  a 
bush,  one  early  morning  came  a  great  proud-looking 
beast,  with  his  huge  head  and  fore-quarters,  proud- 
looking  from  the  front,  but  shrinking  into  common- 
place insignificance  at  the  rear.  When  wounded, 
with  all  the  obstinate  pertinacity  of  the  race,  they 
are  no  mean  antagonists,  and  their  sharp  tushes  are 
formidable  weapons.  They  do  not  appear  to  be 
excessively  gifted  with  powers  of  sight,  or  else  are 
too  engrossed  in  thought  to  pay  heed  to  external 
surroundings ;  for  on  occasion  I  have  seen  one  un- 
consciously approach,  and,  waiting  for  him,  have 
gently  called,  much  to  the  amusement  of  my 
followers,    "  Ta   allah   hena"    (Come    here),   until 


PIG-FLESH  AND  INCONSISTENCY     73 

within  easy  shot.  To  my  astonishment,  they  were 
readily  taken  as  food  by  my  Mahommedan  com- 
panions, who  on  no  account  would  touch  my  home- 
fed  bacon,  virtue  apparently  residing  in  the  fact 
that  the  animals  were  wild,  though  I  am  not  aware 
that  the  Prophet  made  any  distinction  in  his  in- 
junction against  the  use  of  pig's-flesh.  In  the  early 
days  of  the  Transvaal,  I  recollect  a  very  decided 
antipathy  to  the  flesh  of  the  native  porker,  owing 
even  more  to  his  indiscriminate  appetite  than  to  his 
leanness,  for  all  was  fish  that  came  to  his  net,  not 
excluding  odd  defunct  Kaffirs. 

On  the  far  side,  the  direction  for  a  time  was 
between  the  Rahad  and  the  Dinder.  A  waving  sea 
of  grass  lay  before  us,  through  which  we  plunged 
for  a  mile  or  more,  and  which  doubtless  held  much 
game.  Countless  buffalo  might  have  rested  in 
security  in  this  maya  without  the  slightest  sign  of 
their  presence.  In  this  uncertain  possibility  lies 
one  of  the  charms  of  Africa.  Any  bush  may  hide 
a  beast ;  a  tuft  of  grass  may  give  birth  to  sudden 
life  ;  one's  eyes  become  accustomed  to  an  eternal 
roving  yet  unconscious  watchfulness,  and  are  ready 
to  detect  the  slightest  movement,  unusual  circum- 
stance or  form. 

Moisture  here  shows  its  beneficent  influence,  for 
the  other  side  of  the  maya  (can  this  word  be  related 
to  the  corresponding  "mere"  in  England?)  is 
luxuriant  in  vegetation,  being  a  trackless  jungle 
of  thick,  branching  trees  with  dense  masses  of 
creepers.     Here  our  way  had   to   be   hacked   out 


74  SPORT  BY  THE  RIVER 

for  us,  and  passage  was  difficult  through  entangle- 
ments of  thorns  and  fallen  branches.  Tlie  mimosa 
thorns  projecting  from  twin  bulbous  bases  were  of 
great  size  as  compared  with  the  starved  product  of 
the  drier  soil.  The  foliage  was  dry  as  tinder,  and 
many  ripened  gourds  of  varied  shapes  hung  from 
the  vines ;  in  the  rich,  moist  warmth  of  the  wet 
season  the  bush  must  present  in  itself  a  dense, 
impracticable  obstacle. 

Low-placed  on  a  mule  as  I  was,  the  passage  was 
trying ;  the  lower  thorns  caught  one,  but  1  ducked 
easily  under  the  boughs.  How  then  fared  Abid 
the  cook,  perched  high  on  his  camel,  dodging 
festoons  of  creepers,  the  spikes  of  mimosa,  and 
branches  which  seemed  to  reach  over  to  him 
with  malicious  intent,  or  the  half-naked  camel- 
drivers,  whose  skin  seemed  impervious  to  pricks, 
and  the  stumbles  of  their  steeds  of  no  conse- 
quence ? 

All  rejoiced  when  the  ground  began  to  rise, 
miles  later,  and  the  bush  thinned.  As  we  emerged 
on  the  burnt-out  forest  we  appeared  to  have  driven 
game  in  front  of  us,  for  the  first  roan  antelope 
(Abu  Ooruf )  we  had  seen  evinced  their  acquaint- 
ance with  our  presence  by  moving  off. 

But  we  found  our  rejoicing  premature ;  there 
came  a  dreadful  trek  across  a  breezeless,  burning, 
shadcless  furnace.  It  oppressed  even  the  camel- 
men  ;  the  heat  and  glare  struck  us  from  the 
naked,  blistering  ground.  The  hardiest  became 
quiet,  all   talking  ceased  ;    man  and  beast  braced 


llli'I'O    .MF.AJ'    DRYIXG 


KEED-HUCK    AXO    WHITE-liAKKEl)    ACACIA. 


To  face  ijage  74. 


THE  VALUE  OF  BUFFALO  75 

themselves  stubbornly  to  endurance  and  dogged 
progression. 

The  Durraba  Arabs  who  were  good  enough  to 
accompany  me  for  the  sake  of  the  meat  I  killed, 
and  wlio  doubtless  acted  in  concert  with  the  shikari, 
were  quite  disappointed  that  they  were  not  provided 
with  a  hippo  every  day,  and  I  noticed  that  the 
attention  of  all  was  fixed  on  ganioos  (buffalo)  in 
preference — indeed,  until  I  realized  it,  almost  to 
the  exclusion  of  everything  else.  The  most  out- 
landish chance  of  finding  buffalo  was  eagerly 
sought  for,  and  various  long  walks  indulged  in 
after  herds  which  had  already  sighted  us  and 
"vamosed."  The  hidden  motive  lay  in  the  fact 
that  the  sooner  donkeys  could  be  loaded  up  with 
bales  of  dried  meat,  the  less  distance  there  would 
be  for  these  worthies  to  travel  back  home.  They, 
of  course,  constituted  no  tax  on  my  caravan,  but, 
on  the  other  hand,  refrained  from  being  of  any 
assistance  unless  actually  obliged  to,  and  were  use- 
less in  the  task  of  following  up  a  wounded  buck. 
Thereafter  I  trusted  less  to  the  judgment  of  my 
friend  the  shikari. 

On  a  previous  visit  to  the  White  Nile,  it  had 
been  my  misfortune  to  haunch  a  Mrs.  Gray's  water- 
buck.  For  a  couple  of  miles  under  the  midday  sun 
I  followed  it  up,  a  sporting  bahari  (sailor)  attending 
me  to  my  undoing.  Aware  that  in  all  likelihood  it 
would  lie  down  to  ease  its  wound,  I  kept  my  eyes 
well  open,  and,  seeing  a  crooked  stick  projecting  from 
a  clump  of  grass,  cautiously  approached,  deeming  it 


76  SPORT  BY  THE  RIVER 

to  be  the  horn  of  my  quarry.  Within  10  yards 
the  inteUigent  native  awoke  to  its  presence,  and 
gave  notice  of  our  arrival  by  calling  to  me  in  a 
hoarse  whisper  that  this  picturesque  and  by  no 
means  common  antelope  was  in  front  of  me.  It 
took  the  hint,  and,  with  the  cleverness  of  most  wild 
creatures,  fled  under  cover  of  the  high  tussock  of 
grass,  and  then  in  a  direct  line  with  the  steamer, 
rendering  it  impossible  to  fire. 

A  further  long  chase  ended  in  the  imperative 
summons  of  the  steamer's  whistle  recalling  me, 
to  my  intense  disgust  and  regret  at  having  need- 
lessly injured  the  poor  creature.  However,  the 
glint  of  spears  in  the  far  distance  told  the  story 
that  the  Shilluks  w^ere  on  its  track,  giving  assur- 
ance that  it  would  not  be  left  to  die  from  its 
wound  or  become  the  prey  of  lion  or  hyagna. 

It  was  said  that,  when  once  on  the  track,  the 
Shilluk  will  never  leave  such  an  animal,  but  will 
persistently  walk  it  down.  I  have  wished  on 
various  occasions  for  the  presence  of  such  deter- 
mined sportsmen ! 

Evening  was  falling  fast  as  Khor-el-Seneil  was 
reached.  Here  was  much  marsh  and  water  inter- 
persed  between  the  finest  acacias  which  had  yet  been 
seen ;  the  land  was  parklike  and  picturesque,  with 
a  sense  of  largeness  and  space,  giving  relief  after 
the  miles  of  consumptiAC-looking  forest  which  lay 
behind.  The  cool  of  the  evening  and  the  drinking 
hour  of  game  inspired  new  energy,  accentuated  by 
the  discovery  of  an  ariel  which  had  fallen  victim  to 


THE  SONG  OF  THE  ASS  77 

a  lion  within  recent   days,  and  whose  horns  and 
scattered  bones  alone  remained. 

The  sun  descended  and  darkness  fell  before  we 
located,  as  we  thought,  the  position  of  our  camp. 
The  moon  had  not  appeared ;  the  ground  was  rough 
and  broken ;  every  few  steps  landed  us  in  water  or 
boggy  land.  The  bush  closed  around  us ;  thorn 
branches  appeared  endowed  with  malevolent  life, 
and  only  silence  met  the  calling  of  the  men.  It 
became  obvious  that  we  had  badly  missed  our 
mark,  and  visions  of  a  bedless  night  in  the  forest 
depths  rose  before  us.  But  a  distant  song  broke  in 
on  our  lucubrations — a  famiHar  rhythm  which  oft 
in  the  stilly  night  had  wakened  sleepers  and 
attracted  carnivora.  The  senseless  advertisement 
that  here  in  the  flesh,  and  blind  in  the  darkness, 
was  the  favourite  food  of  lions,  in  this  instance 
proved  our  guide,  and  slowly  we  stumbled  onward, 
guided  by  the  hideous  braying  of  Ibrahim's  ass. 

Truly,  the  light-built  Arab  is  not  such  a  trial  to 
his  steed  as  is  the  European  of  stouter  build.  But 
the  wide  cracks  in  the  soil  and  its  unstable  char- 
acter might  be  thought  sufficiently  onerous  under 
even  a  light-weight.  Yet  the  donkey,  with  unshod 
feet,  still  plugged  easily  along  when  Ibrahim 
mounted  without  halting,  merely  placing  his  right 
foot  on  the  donkey's  neck  and  shunting  himself 
lightly  back  into  position. 

Wad-el-Hag  is  a  relic  of  bygone  days.  Now 
merely  a  name,  it  was  the  site  of  the  farthest  up-river 
permanent  village  in  the  days  before  the  JNlahdi  rose. 


78  SPORT  BY  THE  RIVER 

A  sardine  tin,  left  by  some  sportsman  and  picked 
clean  by  the  ants,  is  the  sign  that  the  hunter  is  now 
its  only  v^isitor. 

Ibrahim  was  in  the  Abu  Hashim  district  as  a 
young  man  in  those  days — after  all,  but  a  few  short 
years  ago — and  significantly  draws  his  hand  across 
his  throat,  purses  his  mouth,  shakes  his  head,  and 
says  much  in  Arabic  ;  for  in  this  district,  now 
almost  deserted,  were  once  800  villages.  Yet 
many  there  were  who  spoke  well  of  INIohammed 
Ahmed,  the  Mahdi,  remembering  him  by  his  early 
affectation  of  piety,  his  magnetic  personality,  his 
pretence  of  asceticism  and  imposition  of  virtue  on 
others,  rather  than  by  his  rapacity,  bloodthirstiness, 
and  immorality.  There  was  a  belief  in  his  bo7ia 
fides  which  caused  them  to  overlook  the  terrible 
results  of  his  rule,  but  for  Abdulla,  the  Khalifa,  his 
successor,  no  word  of  good  was  said,  save  in  refer- 
ence to  his  soldiership  and  pluck. 

Day  by  day  fresh  sights  were  afforded ;  at  one 
moment  the  eye  was  struck  by  an  odd,  scrambling, 
most  un-antelope-like  movement  through  the  trees. 
It  was  the  crablike  retreat  of  the  great  ape,  keen- 
eyed  and  vengeful ;  even  the  Arabs  discountenance 
the  killing  of  one  of  a  troop,  in  the  belief  that  his 
fellows  in  retort  will  attack  in  menacing  com- 
bination. In  the  gehels  (hills)  are  also  many 
baboons,  and  it  is  said  in  South  Africa  of  these, 
that  one  of  their  great  aims  in  fighting  is  to  bite  off 
their  opponent's  fingers.  Truly,  an  ape  without 
fingers  would  cut  a  poor  figure  in  a  tree,  and  it 


THE  DAINTY  GIRAFFE  79 

demonstrates   an   exact    appreciation    of    adapted 
strategy. 

Far  away,  too,  in  the  wilderness  of  thorn  scrub 
was  a  slanting  patch  of  brown,  crowned  by  two 
small  prominences  visible  against  the  skyline  as 
they  topped  the  trees.  The  glass  revealed  a  living 
animal  of  large  dimensions,  chestnut  in  its  figured 
markings,  dainty  and  supercilious  in  every  move- 
ment and  expression. 

The  giraffe  in  these  qualities  brings  to  one's  mind 
the  high  -  bred,  supersensitive  and  ultra  -  refined 
maiden  lady  of  mellow  age,  to  whom  the  propinquity 
of  the  world  is  a  desecration,  whom  the  touch  of 
a  flower  would  almost  defile,  and  who  lives  in  a 
perpetual  detachment  of  self  from  aught  that 
approaches  the  common  conditions  of  life. 

Keen  vision  is  the  defence  of  the  giraffe,  aided  by 
the  eminence  from  which  he  views  the  neighbour- 
hood ;  but  if  one  of  those  great  legs  came  into  play 
with  a  well-planted  blow,  naught  else  would  be 
required  to  silence  even  the  stoutest  of  enemies. 

As  1  cautiously  approached  under  cover  of  a  bush, 
he  ceased  browsing  on  the  topmost  leaves  of  the 
mimosa,  and  it  was  only  by  spreading  wide  his 
immense  front -legs  that  even  his  lengthy  neck 
enabled  him  to  pluck  the  grass  beneath  him. 

At  various  times  I  have  found  the  bones  of  this 
timid  and  harmless  animal  bleaching  in  the  sun, 
showing  that  the  lion  had  evaded  his  telescopic 
sight,  and  had  struck  him  unawares,  perhaps  at 
night.     But  now  he  was  on  the  qui  vive,  and  full 


80  SPORT  BY  THE  RIVER 

300  yards  still  separated  us  when  he  quickly 
erected  his  legs  to  the  perpendicular,  stared  an 
instant,  and  with  a  mate  went  off  in  the  queer 
lurching  fashion  caused  by  both  legs  on  the  same 
side  being  advanced  together. 

The  hide  is  esteemed  by  the  natives  for  making 
sandals  ;  and  part  of  the  bone  of  the  front-legs, 
almost  ivory-like  in  appearance,  is  sharpened  and 
employed  by  one  tribe — 1  believe  the  Anuaks,  on 
the  Sobat — as  a  spear-head.  But  to  the  European 
it  would  seem  a  tragedy  to  lay  this  beautiful 
creature  low,  harmless  as  it  is,  and  doomed  to 
extinction  except  under  laws  of  strict  preservation. 

It  was  some  days  later  that,  undesirous  of  kill- 
ing, I  expressed  my  desire  to  photograph  one  from 
close  quarters.  At  Beit-el- Wahash  the  opportunity 
arose.  An  uninteresting  walk  with  little  incident 
had  nearly  come  to  a  close,  when  the  word  "  Zeraf  " 
was  whispered. 

Rifle  was  left  behind,  and  the  camera  substituted. 
Every  bush,  tussock  of  grass,  and  undulation,  was 
taken  advantage  of,  and  still  the  great  fellow  un- 
concernedly plucked  the  tree-tops.  Ibrahim  stayed 
behind  one  bush  while  I  crawled  forward  on  my 
stomach  under  cover  of  another.  Arriving  within 
40  yards  of  the  great  bull,  standing  broadside  on, 
he  presented  so  enormous  an  appearance  that  I 
wondered  if  the  picture  would  actually  include  the 
whole  animal.  I  was  surprised  also  at  the  vividness 
of  his  colouring  against  the  thin  grey  trunks  of  the 
trees,  for  so  nmch  has  been  said  of  the  value  of  his 


PHOTOGRAPHING  A  GIRAFFE      81 

protective  colouring,  which  is  no  doubt  assisted  by 
the  patchwork  character  of  his  marking. 

I  became  aware  of  another  long  neck  beyond, 
looking  over  a  ridge  of  bush  directly  at  me.  It  was 
of  a  sober  brown  in  colour  instead  of  chestnut,  and 
had  hitherto  been  unobserved.  Realizing  that  my 
chance  was  passing,  though  the  bull  was  still  too 
much  absorbed  in  the  aerial  foHage  to  dream  of 
creeping  things  upon  the  earth  (an  idea  of  one's 
personality  which  had  not  before  presented  itseK), 
I  bent  my  head  to  the  view-finder,  pressing  the 
button,  and  looking  up  found  not  two,  but  four, 
giraffes  in  full,  lumbering  flight. 

On  development  of  the  photograph,  it  was 
astonishing  to  note  how — in  the  absence  of  the 
contrast  between  the  colours  of  hide  and  tree-trunks 
— the  lanky  proportions  of  the  animal  merged  into 
the  other  components  of  the  landscape ;  so  much  so 
was  this  that,  aided  by  the  fact  that  exposure  was 
made  at  the  instant  he  discovered  my  presence  at 
short  range  and  was  bounding  round  just  facing  me, 
it  was  actually  difficult  to  outline  him. 

Lions  appeared  to  be  plentiful  here,  their  tracks 
being  quite  fresh,  and  at  Ein-el-Shems,  where  we 
had  rested  a  day  or  two  previously,  camp  had  been 
pitched  in  the  sand  of  the  river-bed,  not  far  from  a 
pool,  whence  next  morning  was  seen  the  trail  made 
by  enterprising  crocodiles.  This  night  the  asses 
were  particularly  persistent  in  their  braying:  was  it 
a  note  of  defiance  ?  for  the  morning  showed — 200 
yards  away  on  the  farther  shore — the  fresh  spoor 

6 


82  SPORT  BY  THE  RIVER 

of  four  lions,  two  large  and  two  small,  who  had 
apparently  been  inspecting  us  from  afar  as  we 
slept. 

Leaving  the  camels  to  follow,  we  plough  pa- 
tiently up  the  weary  river-bed,  and  often  see  a 
wee  speck  on  the  distant  sand,  which  we  feel  sure  is 
looking  at  us — mere  sensation,  but  still  distinct.  As 
we  march  it  expands,  and  a  point  sticks  out  at  one 
side.  This  point  develops  two  further  ones  above, 
and  the  speck  becomes  a  watchful  buck  with  head 
and  ears  defined.  Often  it  does  not  move  until 
500  yards  divide  us,  when  it  airily  skips  over  the 
soft,  deep  sand  which  causes  our  animals  such 
trouble  and  toil. 

The  lion  had  been  more  or  less  of  a  shadow  and 
a  fantasy  since  my  departure,  but  now  for  the 
first  time  we  heard  him,  far  behind  us  in  the 
distance.  No  fewer  than  six  had  been  shot  here 
by  a  party  which  passed  us,  perhaps  accounting  for 
the  respectful  distance  from  which  this  animal 
spoke.  A  great  growling  grunt  boomed  through 
the  atmosphere  as  the  sun  sank  low,  and  was 
repeated  continually  with  decreasing  intervals ; 
then  silence,  and  the  cadence  began  over  again. 

The  oncoming  darkness  augmented  the  impres- 
siveness  of  the  sound,  and  the  shikaris,  recognizing 
the  futility  of  a  chase,  fell  to  mimicking  the 
mannerisms  of  his  tones  with  hilarious  amuse- 
ment ;  but  those  whose  life  is  not  cast  continually 
amongst  wild  beasts  can  but  feel  instinctively  that 
the  animal  is  surely  great  which  can  impress  the 


THE  KING  OF  CATS  83 

world  so  deeply  merely  with  the  vastness  of  his 
voice.  A  shadowy  reed-buck  flitted  from  the 
bank ;  the  spoor  of  a  yesterday's  elephant  was 
passed — that  great  flat  pad  which  expresses  so 
much ;  and  in  the  darkness  the  isolated  police 
post  near  the  Khor  Galegu  was  reached,  amid 
the  excitement  of  its  solitary  occupants. 

The  baggage  camels  were  late  in  arrival,  and  I 
wondered  how  the  servants  liked  the  monarch's 
voice.  I  asked  Abid  if  the  lion  talked  to  him ; 
grinning,  he  replied,  "  Yes,  sir,  he  talk  very  big 
too  much."  Then  followed  the  usual  vocal 
illustration.  But  silence  had  come  with  the 
darkness ;  Arab  conversation  is  not  usually  quiet, 
less  quiet  amongst  the  camel-men  this  evening, 
perhaps,  because  the  guns  had  been  far  ahead,  and 
their  voices  were  doubtless  wafted  down  to  the 
owner  of  the  deep  bass  voice,  which  forthwith  was 
still. 

Yet  can  he  in  justice  claim  the  title  "King  of 
Beasts  "  ?  His  courage  when  at  bay — great  as  it  is 
— is  no  greater  than  that  of  the  buffalo,  and  his 
methods  are  those  of  the  sneak  and  the  footpad. 
Cunning,  as  a  rule,  is  his  controlling  influence  rather 
than  a  broad  intelligence,  and  even  his  loose- 
limbed  majesty  of  stride  fails  to  enthrone  him. 

He  must  yield  the  sceptre  to  the  elephant, 
who  by  reason  of  courage,  size,  strength,  and  in- 
telligence, surpasses  all  other  animals.  In  how 
few  creatures  of  the  brute  creation  exists  any 
germ  of  true  unselfishness  !    Thought  for  others  of 

6—2 


84  SPORT  BY  THE  RIVER 

the  species,  save  in  the  deep-implanted  instinct 
maternal,  or  the  loneliness  on  the  death  of  a 
mate,  again  egotistic,  is  rarely  in  evidence.  Even 
man's  best  friend,  the  dog,  would  pass  a  wounded 
brother  with  a  sniif ;  if  wild,  he  would  probably 
devour  him. 

The  noblest  impulse  of  mankind  is  to  care  for 
the  unfortunate,  to  succour  the  disabled.  AVho 
that  has  seen  a  wounded  elephant  rescued  from 
danger  by  his  fellows,  supported  on  either  side,  can 
deny  in  this  an  attribute  superior  to  every  other  ? 

It  is  tempting,  too,  to  accuse  him  of  possessing 
a  bump  of  humour.  A  train  of  donkeys  once  fell 
foul  of  a  herd.  Attention  was  concentrated  on 
the  loads  they  carried.  With  all  the  mischief  of 
monkeys,  these  were  torn  asunder,  their  contents 
being  distributed  over  half  the  province.  Rumour 
had  it  that  beer-bottles  were  found  with  their  corks 
drawn,  but  this  is  believed  to  be  either  a  libel  or 
due  to  the  expansive  effect  of  the  heat. 

At  Bor,  on  the  Mountain  Nile,  they  were  at  one 
time  full  of  practical  jokes.  Passing  at  night-time 
through  the  village,  they  would  knock  the  sleepers 
up  by  demolishing  their  huts  above  their  heads, 
then  contentedly  march  away. 

They  deem  it  excellent  sport,  too,  to  stroll  about 
a  native  garden.  Their  deep-sunk  footprints  will 
make  good  reservoirs  after  the  rains,  and  to  pluck 
tlie  dhurra  plants  by  the  roots  is  commendable 
in  view  of  its  educational  effects.  The  African 
human  is  lazy  and  should  be  made  to  work,  and  he 


THE  EVIL  EYE  85 

certainly  will  require  to  do  so  at  the  conclusion  of 
these  perambulations.  Thoughtfulness  for  others 
in  this  case  is  ironical ;  too  often  it  is  much  mis- 
placed, for  many  a  crop  is  all  that  stands  between 
the  life  and  semi-starvation  of  the  unhappy  owner. 

A  picture  rises  before  me  of  a  bizarre,  naked 
figure  in  the  grass  of  the  river-side  of  the  same 
district,  violently  bending  and  straightening  his 
knees,  and  shaking  his  outstretched  hands  and  arms, 
during  the  time  my  boat  remained  in  sight.  It  was 
designed  to  ward  off  the  "  evil  eye"  which  might 
be  cast  upon  his  crops,  causing  their  destruction  by 
disease  or  marauders. 

Small  wonder  his  concern  ;  that  evening  a  bull 
elephant  was  wounded  just  before  my  arrival. 
Night  fell,  and  in  the  early  morning  we  started  on 
the  trail,  wading  the  black  water  of  the  khor.  The 
numbers  of  the  herd  were  very  great,  and  a  square 
mile  of  country  was  covered  with  fresh  evidences 
of  their  presence.  There  were  piles  of  steaming 
dung,  some  trees  broken  short  off,  others  simply 
uprooted,  but  no  elephant  remained.  The  wounded 
one  had  no  doubt  been  helped  away,  and  the 
easy  six-mile-an-hour  saunter  had  taken  them  far 
inland  before  we  appeared  on  the  scene. 

Here  on  the  ground  was  a  fragment  of  white 
ivory,  broken  from  the  tusk  of  some  cow  as  she 
uplifted  a  tree-root.  Almost  invariably  one  tusk 
is  used  in  preference,  showing  in  consequence  un- 
equal wear ;  and  she  would  now  be  thrown  on  to 
the  use  of  the  imbroken  one.     In  some  cases  the 


86  SPORT  BY  THE  RIVER 

placing  of  the  tusk  under  tree-roots  causes  a  notch 
to  be  eventually  worn  an  inch  or  so  from  the 
extremity. 

Two  or  three  days  would  probably  elapse  before 
they  came  near  the  place  again — indeed,  it  was 
probable  that  they  would  leave  it  severely  alone  ; 
so,  after  many  miles'  walk  in  the  hope  of  coming  up 
with  them,  pursuit  was  abandoned. 

The  sergeant  {lunbasha)  of  police  and  his  three  or 
four  men  at  Khor  Galegu  led,  with  the  Sheikh  of 
Galegu,  solitary  lives  indeed.  Their  days  were 
gladdened  by  two  Hebes  of  dilapidated  aspect,  who 
must  have  been  banished  from  the  home  community 
for  their  looks.  A  few  reed  huts  sufficed  for  their 
protection  from  sun  and  beast ;  the  angaribs,  clay 
water -pots,  and  gourds,  their  household  goods. 
Below  was  the  patch  of  ground  where  grew  a 
small  supply  of  dhurra  and  the  coarse  melon  which 
delights  the  native  heart,  and  by  the  river-bed 
was  the  thick-foliaged  and  imposing  tamarind-tree, 
which  afforded  shade  and  medicine,  and  provided 
a  lookout  post  into  the  bargain. 

Seventy  miles  or  so  from  Singa,  it  constitutes  the 
last  post  on  the  Binder,  save  the  slavery  post  at 
Abu  Ramleh,  on  the  Abyssinian  frontier.  Eastward 
runs  the  Galegu  through  desolate  country,  far  into 
the  hills  of  Abyssinia,  enclosing  with  the  Dinder  to 
the  south  a  land  unmapped,  unknown,  save  to  the 
few  natives  who  guard  too  well  the  secret  of  the 
water-holes. 

During  the  dry  season  these  men  remain  here  as 


SUDANESE  MEAD  87 

a  sign  of  authority,  and  doubtless  to  keep  watch  on 
any  intruding  Abyssinians,  so  the  advent  of  a 
sportsman  is  a  welcome  event  to  break  the  monot- 
ony of  their  lives. 

A  teacupful  of  honey  was  hospitably  provided, 
and  a  gourdful  of  liquor  with  honey  as  its  base ; 
it  was  sickly  and  probably  slightly  intoxicating,  and 
my  powers  of  drinking  the  beverage  were  viewed 
with  contempt. 


CHAPTER   V 

WILD  LIFE  AMONGST  BEASTIES 

In  the  Sudan,  as  in  Rhodesia,  the  honey-indicator 
exercises  its  profession  of  utihzing  mankind  for  the 
exploitation  of  a  previously  acquired  knowledge  of 
a  bees'  nest.  Community  of  interest  is  not  often 
found  between  birds  and  men,  and  that  this  com- 
munity should  be  initiated  by  the  bird  is  strange 
indeed.  The  elephant  or  buffalo  hunter  knows  to 
his  cost  the  perfect  understanding  between  the 
giant  and  his  white-feathered  companion,  who,  sit- 
ting on  his  back,  keeps  one  eye  on  the  ticks  that 
infest  his  host,  and  an  equally  sharp  one  on  any 
unfriendly  approach. 

Cut  the  action  of  the  honey-guide  goes  a  step 
farther ;  its  motive  is  not  merely  to  give  passive 
warning,  but  is  an  active  request  and  inducement 
to  a  human  being  to  perform  a  certain  specific  deed 
— to  follow  its  direction  and  take  the  honey  it  has 
discovered. 

No  one  can  sit  in  camp  in  the  daylight  without 
being  struck  by  the  daring  of  the  kites  or  buzzards. 
They  will  dash  in  amongst  one's  belongings,  snatch- 
ing at  any  scrap  of  food,  and  whirling  away  again  to 

88 


CAMP  THIEVES  AND  SCAVENGERS     89 

circle  round,  watching  with  keen  vision  for  a  further 
opportunity. 

Vultures  sit  around  sullenly  expecting  the  shifting 
of  the  camp,  waiting  to  chime  in  with  the  others, 
but  rejecting  that  which  the  buzzards — foul  feeders 
as  they  are — consume.  The  omnipresent  and  cheer- 
ful crow  keeps  industriously  on  the  move,  and  his 
neat  appearance  when  at  rest  contrasts  pleasantly 
with  the  ragged,  dirty  aspect  of  the  buzzard. 

The  site  of  a  camp  recently  moved  is  a  lesson  in 
scavenging :  buzzards  and  vultures  crowd  the 
ground  in  all  postures ;  the  marabout,  called  Abu 
Sin  ("  father  of  teeth  "),  from  his  immense  bill,  joins 
in  the  quest  while  minutije  of  crumbs  and  the 
savoury  skimmings  of  meat  tins  go  to  the  share  of 
numberless  ants. 

One  day  three  hartebeest,  hitherto  unseen, 
dashed  from  behind  a  clump  and  galloped  away, 
carrying  their  narrow,  long-drawn-out  heads  high  in 
the  air.  Roan  antelopes  appeared  midst  the  trees, 
and  through  the  grass  I  distinguished  the  great 
forms,  as  bulky  as  that  of  a  horse,  with  thick  necks 
and  stout,  back-curved  horns.  Between  us  were 
some  reed-buck  which  proved  my  undoing.  So 
successful  a  stalk  was  made  on  hands  and  knees 
that  I  arrived  within  20  yards  of  these  fawn- 
coloured  creatures,  and  marked  the  quick  move- 
ments of  the  male.  Progress  was  useless  ;  the 
reed-buck  caught  our  wind,  I  saw  his  lips  lift  up  as 
he  gave  a  shrill  cry,  and  away  the  herd  bounded 
toward  the  roan,  sending  them  onwards. 


90     WILD  LIFE  AMONGST  BE  A  STIES 

"  Bashmak  batal,  ibn  el  kelb,"  swore  Ibrahim, 
demonstrating  the  Oriental  contempt  for  the  friend 
of  man — "  Reed-buck  bad,  son  of  a  dog  ";  but  it  is 
all  part  of  the  sport — a  part  which  Ibrahim,  keen 
only  on  getting  meat,  could  not  comprehend.  To 
the  Arab  there  appears  no  pleasure  in  the  study  of 
wild  life  ;  Nature  does  not  appeal  to  him  save  in 
rare  instances  ;  the  quick  start,  the  frightened 
attitude  and  expression,  the  warning  note,  of  the 
reed-buck  conveyed  no  sense  of  beauty,  com- 
manded no  admiration. 

Appreciation  of  aggressive  qualities  of  course 
there  is ;  the  power  of  the  lion,  the  courage 
and  sagacity  of  the  buffalo  and  elephant,  appeal 
to  man's  emulation  and  sense  of  self-protection, 
but  the  gentleness  and  timidity  of  the  harmless 
gazelle  inspires  no  corresponding  feeling. 

The  Sheikh  of  Galegu  had  overtaken  us,  probably 
with  a  view  to  obtaining  gifts  of  unconsidered 
trifles.  He  had  brought  for  my  acceptance  a  small 
duck  egg,  which,  proving  to  be  minus  the  usual 
infantile  duckling,  was,  in  spite  of  its  insufficiency, 
a  gift  indeed.  His  happiness  was  exuberant  on 
receiving  in  return  two  fishhooks,  a  few  cigarettes, 
and  the  skin  of  a  tiang.  These  people  are  crude 
enough,  but  he  was  exceedingly  polite,  expressed 
his  pleasure  at  having  seen  me  and  his  gratitude 
for  my  gifts  ;  he  at  least  knew  the  formuku  of 
social  usage,  and  I  could  not  lielp  wondering 
if  he  had  learnt  to  use  them  as  superficially  as 
so  many  of  his  European  cousins.     He  had  come 


THE  OPEN-AIR  BEDROOM         91 

in  late  in  the  evening  with  a  spear  and  only 
one  eye.  What  comfort  there  is  in  accustomed- 
ness  !  The  white  man  is  foolish  and  always  on 
his  guard,  so  to  speak  ;  his  eyes  rove  from  bush 
to  bush  with  expectation,  and  he  feels  the  moral 
support  of  a  -400  rifle.  These  are  black  men  who 
dare  the  paths  of  leopard  and  lion  with  merely 
a  piece  of  sharpened  iron  on  the  end  of  a  stick — 
yet  command  their  respect.  The  recent  footprint 
of  a  lion  at  large  on  his  native  soil  affords  a 
sensation  to  a  frequenter  of  Regent's  Park  which  is 
mere  amusement  to  the  man  who  is  born  amongst 
four-footed  enemies ;  yet  their  hate  is  stronger 
than  ours  for  the  great  cat,  and  their  delight  at  his 
fall  more  full  of  enthusiasm. 

The  diary  is  written  in  the  midst  of  great  dark- 
ness ;  "  Mrs.  Sun " — as  I  have  to  call  the  moon 
in  my  ignorance  of  the  Arabic  term — just  having 
been  born,  knowledge  of  the  world  around  is 
bounded  by  the  narrowest  limits.  The  night  air 
is  dry  and  warm,  tempered  by  a  cool  breeze. 
Talk  about  Robin  Hood  and  the  greenwood  tree, 
he  must  have  had  rheumatism !  The  grey  tree 
skeletons  vacillate  in  the  flicker  of  the  fires.  No 
landlady's  coal-scuttle  feeds  our  flames ;  whole 
trees  burn  to  give  warning  to  lion  that  they  had 
best  seek  other  meat  than  man,  camel  or  donkey 
(to  say  nothing  of  my  mule  and  the  hippo  meat). 
No  "  shilling  a  night  "  oil-lamp  shows  up  the  sphinx- 
like shape  of  the  camel,  grotesque  and  motionless, 
and  the  kindly  black  forms  crouching  round,  full  of 


92      WILD  LIFE  AMONGST  BEASTIES 

response  to  a  cheerful  song.  It  is  the  firelight  of 
the  forest,  the  resource  of  primeval  man,  the 
guardian  of  the  camp,  the  terror  of  the  great 
growler  who  made  the  heavens  reverberate  in  the 
evening. 

The  contrast  with  the  animals  of  the  camp  be- 
comes the  greater  ;  one  contemplates  the  little  goat 
that  nestles  down  at  one's  feet,  or  by  a  case  of  Piper 
Heidsieck,  as  sweetly  as  if  it  knew  no  other  home — 
the  advertising  and  useful  ass  who  hee-haws  to  the 
croaking  of  the  frogs — the  (thank  God)  sometimes 
silent  camel,  who,  were  he  more  noisy,  could 
scarcely  be  forgiven  his  stink — the  cricket  sounding 
just  the  same  as  on  one's  grandfather's  hearth  :  all 
so  happy  in  their  association,  and  homely  by  contrast 
with  the  great  man-eating  beasts  which  wait  out- 
side the  charmed  circle. 

It  being  some  years  since  I  found  myself  in  a 
Zoological  Gardens  with  all  the  beasts  let  loose, 
where  man  is  only  a  sample  of  one  of  God's  creations 
turned  out  amongst  many  other  varieties,  it  is  not 
to  be  wondered  at  that  sometimes  sleep  does  not 
come  too  early,  and  that  then  it  is  liable  to  be  broken. 

Last  night  it  was  the  gentleman  whose  finger- 
print had  been  taken  on  the  soft  cotton  soil  who 
evinced  from  a  short  distance  his  fondness  for  our 
society.  He  made  remarks  to  us,  probably  insult- 
ing, at  short  intervals  all  through  the  night,  from 
various  positions  in  regard  to  the  camp.  This  is 
where  the  unaccustomed  European,  used  to  being 
shut  up  in  a  safe  cage  all  night,  feels  foolish.     He 


LION  CONVERSATION  AT  NIGHT      93 

hears  his  black  brethren  sleep  soundly,  observes 
the  perfect  insouciance  of  camels  and  donkeys,  yet 
he  is  stupid  enough  to  feel  glad  when  the  fires  are 
bright,  and  sorry  when  they  are  dull,  and  he  follows 
the  movements  of  Felis  leo  by  his  voice  from 
place  to  place  with  animated  and  quite  unnecessary 
interest. 

Each  remark  consisted  of  from  twenty  to  twenty- 
four  words,  the  early  ones  sounding  a  distinct  tone 
of  complaint,  declining  on  two  notes  and  staccato 
in  the  finish ;  the  later  ones  had  less  of  an  interval 
between  them,  and  were  of  one  gruff  note  only, 
subsiding  at  the  last  into  a  heavy  sigh  or  breath. 

"  Ah,"  said  Abid  next  morning,  "  he  tell  his  wife 
his  stomach  full,  he  inabsoud  [happy].  If  he  hungry 
he  no  say  any  ting." 

He  failed  to  respond,  however,  to  the  strictest 
search  when  the  daylight  came,  and  may  have 
passed  on  to  join  his  comrades  down-river. 

It  was  strange,  on  the  other  hand,  that,  though 
night  after  night  the  camping-places  were  haunted 
in  this  way,  on  no  single  occasion  on  this  river  did 
I  fall  across  one  in  the  daylight,  during  the  scores  of 
miles  of  every  class  of  country  we  traversed. 

Among  the  Arabs  who  followed  me  for  the  sake 
of  the  meat,  now  presenting  a  formidable  appearance, 
was  a  whilom  slave  of  the  notorious  Zobeir  Pasha, 
whose  influence  extended  far  into  the  interior  of 
slave-raided  Central  Africa,  and  whose  services 
Gordon  desired  to  enlist  to  preserve  Khartoum. 

My  friend  was  possessed  of  a  large,  round,  clean- 


94     WILD  LIFE  AMONGST  BEASTIES 

shaven  headpiece,  and  was  quite  a  pantomime 
artist. 

He  felt  dissatisfied  with  an  insufficiency  of  meat 
according  to  his  high  ideals,  so  with  a  noble  grin 
picked  up  a  resounding,  hollow  gourd,  tapped  it 
first,  and  then  his  stomach.  This,  in  spite  of  a  ton 
or  more  of  hippo  and  a  number  of  buck. 

So  one  morning  Ibrahim  and  he  went  out  to 
prospect ;  I  was  seedy,  and  glad  to  delegate  some 
of  the  search.  Ibrahim  returned  crestfallen,  poor 
fellow,  and  had  to  make  up  with  a  fib  (he  had 
probably  found  honey  and  rested  under  a  tree  most 
of  the  time).  So  he  reported  that  he  had  done 
great  things ;  that  he  had  discovered  an  elephant 
lying  asleep,  but,  of  course,  it  was  useless  to  come 
back  to  me,  as  I  was  not  shooting  them  on  the 
Blue  Nile. 

The  comedian  bore  out  his  statement  with  much 
profusion  of  gesture  and  language,  so  I  asked  him 
to  bring  tlie  elephant  here,  when  I  would  provide 
him  with  plenty  of  meat,  for  which  he  had  been 
offering  a  very  long  prayer  to  Allah  on  behalf 
of  his  children.  His  answer  was  obvious,  and  was 
accompanied  by  a  smile  which  evinced  recognition 
that  the  story  had  failed,  and  gave  the  show  com- 
pletely away. 

Nevertheless,  having  perhaps  observed  my  parti- 
ality for  eggs  in  the  matter  of  the  Sheikh  of  Galegu, 
with  much  ado  he  produced  no  fewer  than  three. 
He  was  evidently  a  wit  of  the  very  first  order  and 
qualified  for  a  native  music-hall,  for  the  eggs  were 


GREYBEARDS  AND  THE  CHICKEN    95 

the  size  of  ^vrens',  and,  indeed,  were  already  in- 
habited. 

Not  that  the  Sudanese  fowls,  being  of  the 
ordinary  African  type,  can  claim  an  enormous  ad- 
vantage over  the  wren  in  point  of  weight.  Dry  of 
flesh,  too,  and  scraggy  of  body,  they  are  invariably 
tough  as  rhinoceros  hide,  partly  owing  to  the  habit 
of  killing  them  just  before  meal-time. 

A  startling  agility  is  exhibited  when  they  are 
chased,  and  at  Singa  I  once  witnessed  a  ridiculous 
sight.  Two  ancient  and  skinny  greybeards,  their 
few  rags  flying  behind  in  the  breeze,  coursed  full 
tilt  across  the  square  at  top  speed,  spears  in  hand 
but  reversed,  in  the  wake  of  a  nimble  but  very  small 
fowl.  The  fowl  doubled  smartly,  and  "  Father 
Abraham,"  following  suit,  missed  his  footing  and 
rolled  head  over  heels  in  the  dust.  All  the  dignity 
remained  with  the  chicken,  which  flew  to  a  roof-top 
and  justifiably  crowed  ! 

Piggy  was  out  for  an  airing  one  day,  and  strolled 
along  in  his  usual  casual  fashion.  He  unfor- 
tunately took  too  long  in  investigating  me,  and 
fell  a  victim,  owing  to  fresh  meat  being  wanted 
for  the  men.  It  gave  an  opportunity  of  witness- 
ing the  terrible  destructive  effects  of  the  expanding 
•400  bullet.  I  wounded  him  badly  at  first,  but 
had  to  take  a  flying  shot  as  he  went  off*,  to 
stop  him.  The  bullet,  coming  from  behind,  com- 
pletely destroyed  one  hind-quarter,  causing  a  rent 
a  foot  long,  and  blowing  a  large  piece  out  at  the 
exit. 


96     WILD  LIFE  AMONGST  BEASTIES 

Wakening  from  a  siesta  in  late  middle  day,  when 
nearly  all  creatures  indulge  in  like  fashion,  I  saw 
a  small  animal  20  feet  above  my  head,  lying 
curled  up  round  an  uncomfortable  twig.  It  proved 
to  be  a  genet  cat  taking  a  rest,  opening  her  eyes 
occasionally,  but  taking  no  notice  of  proceedings 
underneath.  These  little  things  feed  on  birds  and 
small  animals,  and  are  quite  as  much  at  home 
amongst  the  twigs  as  the  former.  It  is  rather 
unfair  to  the  small  bird  or  animal  that  there  should 
exist  no  night  refuge  whatever  where  sleep  may  be 
without  danger,  that  no  hour  of  the  twenty-four 
should  be  free  from  the  fear  of  a  painful  death.  So 
I  felt  mean  to  take  advantage  of  her  innocence  or 
trust,  and  took  care  that  she  dropped  dead  without 
knowledge  of  danger  or  pain. 

Dull  yellow  in  colour,  with  brown  spots,  a  long, 
ferret-like  head,  and  a  prehensile  tail  as  long  as  the 
body,  the  genet  is  a  member  of  the  civet  family,  but 
diiFers  from  them,  inasmuch  as  its  claws  can  be 
completely  retracted,  and  the  slit  of  the  eye  is 
vertical. 

I  often  noticed  that  the  boys  were  fond  of  picking 
certain  solitary  sticks  of  grass,  and  they  once  drew 
my  attention  to  the  smell  of  a  substance  adhering 
to  them,  which  excited  my  abomination  ratlier  than 
pleasure.  They  informed  me  that  it  was  much  in 
request  by  their  sweethearts,  who  regarded  it  as  a 
precious  perfume.  The  ladies  of  the  Sudan  became 
even  less  perfect  in  my  eyes  on  hearing  this.  The 
practice  of  fumigating  tliemselves  with  the  sweet- 


SMALL  GAME  IN  THE  SUDAN   97 

smelling  smoke  of  such  woods  as  sandal  or  talh  has 
a  much  more  useful  effect,  as  it  replaces  the  charac- 
teristic odour  of  the  African  human  with  that  of  a 
vegetable. 

The  gummy  material  on  the  grass-stems,  so 
coveted  by  Arab  beauty,  and  gathered  little  by 
little  into  quills  as  we  progressed,  was  in  fact 
deposited  by  the  civet-cat,  and  my  strictures  on 
the  taste  in  native  perfumery  in  this  country  must 
be  modified  by  the  fact  that  the  musk  when  properly 
treated,  combined  with  other  substances — and,  I 
should  say,  vastly  diluted — is  used  as  a  base  in 
Europe  for  many  varieties  of  scent. 

My  friend  of  the  empty  stomach  had  the  laugh 
over  me  one  day — mirth  joined  in  by  his  fellows. 
FHtting  in  the  alternate  shade  and  sunlight  of  the 
trees,  I  saw  a  bird  with  golden  wings,  and  flight 
erratic  as  that  of  a  snipe.  I  coveted  it  as  a 
specimen  —  not  to  eat,  as  the  clown  naturally 
thought — and  after  much  trouble  fired,  and  it  fell. 
A  long  search  ended  by  the  discovery  of  a  bat, 
whose  wings  were  transparent  yellow  in  the  sun- 
shine. Big-game  shooting  is  not  supposed  to 
include  such  small  deer  as  this,  and  when  the  boys 
saw  my  disappointed  face,  and  that  I  proposed 
neither  to  eat  nor  to  skin  it,  I  was  thought  a  fit 
subject  for  quite  respectful  amusement. 

It  is  well  that  the  number  of  reed-buck  which 
may  be  shot  in  one  season  is  limited,  for  their  flesh, 
being  very  passable  eating,  renders  them  preferable 
as  fresh  meat.     Waterbuck  is  quite  impossible  to 

7 


98     WILD  LIFE  AMONGST  BEASTIES 

the  European,  being  rank  in  flavour,  though  the 
natives  find  no  disadvantage  in  the  fact.  And  how 
welcome  fresh  meat  is  after  the  continued  meals 
emerging  from  tins  laboriously  brought  from  Chicago 
or  France  ! 

I  have  often  imagined  the  expression  of  an  English 
cook  were  she  asked  to  produce  dishes  of  equal 
excellence  to  those  of  Abid,  with  a  kitchen  range  of 
such  simplicity  as  his.  True,  he  made  an  occasional 
mistake,  as  when  he  served  a  whole  tin  of  "  pate  de 
foie  gras  "  hot  and  oily  !  But  he  made  up  for  such 
lapses  by  his  application  in  catching  fish  in  the 
pools,  where  the  fickle  river  had  crowded  them. 
The  crocodile  is  mainly  a  fish -eater ;  thousands  of 
cranes  and  storks  tread  the  shallows ;  fish-eagles 
and  kingfishers  dart  into  the  depths  ;  and  the  marvel 
is  that,  even  in  their  initial  multitudes,  a  single  fish 
remains  in  each  circumscribed  home  to  see  the  first 
flush  of  summer  torrents  from  the  hills. 

The  fish  which  he  succeeded  in  taking  did  not 
equal  in  flavour  the  Dover  sole.  Its  appearance 
was  that  of  a  mustachioed  dogfish,  black  in  colour, 
on  whose  enormous  head  an  elephant  had  placed 
its  foot.  The  body  constituted  only  one-half  of  its 
length,  and  was  built  vertically  ;  while  the  evil- 
looking  head,  fringed  round  the  mouth  with  eight 
fleshy  tentacles,  was  flat.  Others,  which  were 
entirely  uneatable,  and  also  tentacled,  almost 
resembled  the  eel,  with  a  dorsal  fin  the  whole 
length  of  the  body. 

It  is  said  that  some  classes  of  fish — though  I  saw 


A  RECOVERED  PATIENT  99 

none — live  in  mud  cracks  when  the  river  falls, 
developing  lungs  in  place  of  gills  for  the  time 
being. 

Water,  often  very  muddy,  taken  from  pools  so 
crowded  with  life  is  not  fascinating,  and  it  was 
generally  obtained  by  sinking  a  hole  in  the  river- 
sand,  which  has  thus  filtered  it  to  some  extent. 
But  none  was  good  enough  to  dispense  with 
boiling  or  the  Pasteur  filter,  which  only  severe 
measures  induced  my  attendants  to  employ  for  me 
invariably. 

By  this  time  we  had  penetrated  well  into  the 
loveliest  country  of  the  Dinder.  Singa  lay  far 
behind  to  the  north-west ;  Khartoum  beyond  it, 
remote  as  a  distant  dream ;  Kassala,  some  hundreds 
of  miles  north-east,  with  Gedaref,  fertile  and  pros- 
perous before  the  blight  of  the  Mahdi  fell  on  it, 
watched  the  same  Abyssinian  barrier,  which  will 
soon  turn  us  westward  to  rejoin  the  great  central 
waterway  of  the  Sudan.  Meanwhile  the  lack  of 
human  society  was  compensated  for  by  that  of 
beasties  and  birds. 

I  had  sent  Sheikh  Ali  of  the  camels  back  for 
more  animals,  the  heads  having  become  rather  too 
numerous  for  my  carrying  power,  and  one  camel 
having  fallen  sick. 

On  his  return,  I  inquired,  with  some  anxiety, 
after  the  Sheikh  of  Durraba,  whom  I  had  doctored 
unwittingly  in  so  heroic  a  fashion.  I  was  relieved 
to  find  that  I  had  not  killed  him,  as  T  feared,  but 
that  a  complete  cure  had  been  effected,  much  to 

7—2 


100   WILD  LIFE  AMONGST  BEASTIES 

the  enhancement  of  my  reputation.  Shereef,  a 
second  shikari  who  had  accompanied  me  from 
Durraba,  had  also  prayed  for  medicine  for  his  wife  ; 
but,  not  having  investigated  "  Sitt "  (Mrs.)  Shereef s 
case  personally,  owing  to  motives  of  delicacy,  I 
regret  to  say  I  had  made  no  impression  on  her  case 
with  sundry  "Livingstone  Rousers."  Unfortunately, 
the  lady  became  so  ill  that  Shereef,  who  was  a  very 
keen  sportsman  and  intelligent  ex-member  of  the 
police,  had  to  leave  me. 

It  is  quite  amusing  what  faith  these  people  have 
in  one's  healing  powers — a  faith  justified  more  by 
the  effect  of  Epsom  salts  or  calomel  than  by  powers 
of  diagnosis.  The  impression  is  arrived  at  inevitably 
that  they  like  being  doctored,  and  Sheikh  Ali  im- 
mediately informed  me  that  the  sun  had  hit  him  in 
the  back,  for  which  he  required  medicine.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  he  was  stiff  with  hard  riding,  so  hot 
water  and  "  Elliman  "  were  prescribed,  and  I  saw 
that  the  latter  was  not  taken  internally ! 

Some  ten  miles'  journey  in  the  early  morning 
brought  us  opposite  to  the  Khor  Semsir,  where  we 
found  ourselves  at  the  edge  of  a  very  extensive 
maya  with  a  low  knoll  here  and  there,  and  patches 
of  rough  grass  dotted  over  the  plain. 

A  wart-hog  sneaked  away  as  we  reconnoitred, 
and  a  few  gazelle  grazing  on  the  edge  bounded 
away  into  the  thicket,  but  far  in  the  middle  was  a 
scattered  herd  of  the  Tora  hartebeest.  Leaving  a 
man  with  instructions  to  show  himself  in  half  an 
hour's  time,  we  made  a  long  detour,  and,  striking 


THE  TORA  HARTEBEEST  101 

the  maya  at  the  far  side,  came  unexpectedly 
within  300  yards  of  a  bull.  The  maya  was  so 
open  that  it  seemed  impossible  to  approach  very 
near,  and  the  only  cover  was  provided  first  by 
a  thin  bush,  and  then  by  an  ant-hill  about 
200  yards  away.  Crawling  on  one's  stomach  is 
not  the  pleasantest  of  operations  even  on  English 
turf,  but  here,  under  the  fierce  sun,  with  short 
grass-stems  damaging  the  palms  of  the  hands, 
with  the  ash  of  burnt  grass  flying  into  one's  nostrils, 
and  perspiration  streaming  into  the  eyes,  the 
pursuit  of  pleasure  is  tinged  with  pain.  By  the 
time  the  ant-hill  was  reached,  the  hartebeest 
had  become  aware  of  something  unusual,  and, 
apparently  not  being  gifted  with  the  highest 
intelligence  amongst  beasts,  was  standing  almost 
directly  facing  me.  I  decided  to  risk  the  shot,  and, 
somewhat  to  my  modest  surprise,  he  fell  motionless, 
the  bullet  having  pierced  the  base  of  the  neck  and 
the  main  arteries  of  the  heart. 

One  does  not  always  profit  by  previous  experi- 
ence, and  that  morning  I  had  neglected  to  bring  a 
pair  of  gloves  which  I  usually  carried.  The  Arabs 
objected  to  my  white  face  and  hands,  saying  that 
they  frightened  the  game.  Later  in  my  journey 
they  inspired  the  lords — or  rather  ladies — of  creation 
with  similar  terror. 

The  hands  one  could  cover  with  dark  gloves, 
and  keep  studiously  still  when  stalking — a  simple 
enough  precaution,  but  less  easy  to  continue  than 
one  would  think.     The  white  face,  however,  even 


102  WILD  LIFE  AMONGST  BEASTIES 

though  tanned  and  shaded  by  the  big  burneto,  or 
pith  helmet,  must  show  plainly  in  the  brilliant  sun- 
light, and  an  occasional  glint  of  the  sun  on  the 
spectacles  betrays  the  presence  of  a  moving  object 
to  the  game. 

A  difficulty  with  one's  Arabs  at  first  lies  in 
enforcing  silence  after  a  kill ;  many  a  time  it  is 
possible  to  find  game  within  a  reasonable  distance 
even  after  the  noise  of  two  or  three  shots,  but, 
unless  sharply  forbidden,  the  sight  of  meat  lying  at 
their  feet  appears  too  much  for  their  feelings. 

Later  in  the  afternoon  I  saw  a  herd  of  roan 
antelope  moving  slowly  to  the  bush  at  the  far  side 
of  the  maya. 

It  became  a  matter  of  doubt  who  would  reach 
the  point  first ;  I,  with  the  disadvantage  of  being 
half  a  mile  behind  them,  having  to  make  a  long  half- 
circle  in  the  busli,  cautiously  and  quietly. 

Anxiously  I  peered  through  the  openings,  find- 
ing the  herd  still  moving  steadily  on,  and  now  abreast 
of  my  position,  a  neck-and-neck  race.  Back  into 
the  bush  again,  but  some  eddy  of  wind  had  told 
them  of  danger,  and,  slightly  hastening  their  pace, 
they  streamed  into  the  forest  200  yards  ahead  of 
me,  their  lumbering  gallop  taking  them  quickly 
through  the  trees  and  out  of  view. 

I  saw  few  snakes  in  this  country,  but  on  our 
return  journey,  with  a  second  hartebeest,  my  men 
gave  a  sudden  cry,  and  a  few  yards  ahead  a  large 
snake  darted  away  to  its  hole,  wherein  a  portion  of 
its  body  was  visible. 


"FI  GEDAD?"  103 

Vituperation  filled  the  air,  and  perhaps  it  was 
well  that  no  literal  meaning  was  conveyed  to  my 
mind.  They  stated  it  was  poisonous,  but  natives 
so  seldom  discriminate  between  these  and  harmless 
ones  that  it  was  by  no  means  unquestionable. 

Some  days  are,  naturally,  barren  in  results  save 
in  pleasure — the  pleasure  of  stalking  and  attaining 
close  proximity  to  herds  of  antelope  without  the 
wish  to  interfere  with  them,  as  they  feed  unsus- 
piciously near. 

In  the  evening  comes  the  amusement  of  shooting 
guinea-fowl  for  the  making  of  soup  or  as  provision 
for  breakfast.  On  occasion  one  of  the  Berberi 
servants  would  be  detailed  to  obtain  them,  and 
it  became  an  unbroken  practice,  on  return  to  camp, 
to  ask,  "  Mustapha,  fi  gedad  ?"  (Are  there  guinea- 
fowl  ?)  with  the  almost  invariable  answer,  "  Ma 
fisch"  (There  are  none),  and  a  lengthy  explanation 
that  they  would  not  wait  for  him  to  fire.  The 
desire  of  an  Englishman  to  shoot  birds  flying  is  in- 
comprehensible to  them — it  is  so  much  easier  to  kill 
a  bird  when  it  is  standing  still  on  the  ground  ;  but 
they  are  lost  in  admiration  when  birds  fall  dead  in 
mid -flight. 

One  night  the  question  "  Fi  gedad  ?"  failed  to 
produce  a  smile  on  Mustapha's  face.  He  rolled 
himself  up  in  a  blanket,  and  felt  as  helpless  as  a 
sea-sick  lady  in  mid- Channel.  Even  the  lion  which 
talked  to  us  that  night  failed  to  make  INIustapha  lie 
nearer  the  fire ;  in  fact,  it  is  doubtful  whether  the 
idea  of  transmutation  of  Mustapha  into  lion  troubled 


104    WILD  LIFE  AMONGST  BEASTIES 

him  much.  Malaria  made  him  green  and  sickly, 
and  he  put  himself  under  my  care  with  all  the 
abandon  of  an  infant. 

No  longer  was  my  water-bottle  mouth  cleaned 
with  his  finger,  or  the  tumblers  washed  in  dirty 
water,  when  I  was  not  looking.  He  was  relieved 
from  the  daily  cleaning  of  my  boots,  which  was 
such  useless  trouble,  as  they  only  got  dirty  again. 
The  night-drink,  so  carefully  placed  just  out  of 
my  reach,  was  attended  to  by  others,  and  the 
demonstration  of  the  way  how  not  to  do  things  was 
for  the  time  suspended. 

So  I  mixed  him  a  drink  made  of  the  cream  of 
tartar  surrounding  the  pips  of  the  tebeldi-tree  fruit, 
which  bears  the  same  reputation  as  a  febrifuge  here 
as  it  does  in  South  Africa.  In  this  he  had  mar- 
vellous faith,  and  alternated  it  with  quinine.  I 
noted,  on  recovery,  that  he  credited  the  native 
medicine  rather  than  the  quinine  with  his  restora- 
tion to  health. 

An  advantage  of  the  Dinder  at  this  season  is  the 
absence  of  mosquitoes,  and  it  is  only  the  attention  of 
flying  bugs  of  sorts  which  render  the  use  of  nets 
advisable. 

A  few  miles  onward,  our  camels  lagging  a  mile 
or  so  behind  us,  we  crossed  a  maya  into  the  scrub 
beyond,  and  as  we  did  so  two  great  slanting  necks 
appeared  a  few  hundred  yards  away.  The  angle 
which  a  giraffe's  neck  makes  with  the  line  of 
ground-level  is  a  peculiar  one,  and  causes  the 
appearance  of  an  eternal  yearning  after  something 


THE  STEALTHY  LEOPARD        105 

that  cannot  be  reached,  and  which  is  invisible  to 
the  observer.  In  this  instance,  after  a  few  moments' 
cropping  of  the  grass  with  their  legs  wide  spread, 
they  spotted  the  camels  in  the  distance,  and  de- 
parted, leaving  a  tiny  imprint  in  a  photographic 
film. 

The  bank  of  the  river,  explored  by  Ibrahim  and 
me,  was  fringed  with  thick,  creeper-covered  jungle, 
of  a  denser  character  than  usual.  The  grass  was 
high  and  rank,  and  made  the  paths  of  hippo, 
buffalo,  and  elephant,  the  only  possible  ways  for  us 
to  take. 

A  rustling  in  the  grass  made  us  stop  suddenly ; 
something  had  seen  or  winded  us — perhaps  had 
been  waiting  our  approach— and  had  moved  on. 
But  not  for  many  yards.  We  progressed  carefully, 
with  eyes  all  round  us,  and  nerves  collected  and 
tense.  I  saw  small  monkeys  in  a  tree  20  yards 
away,  a  bank  of  grass  intervening,  excitedly  moving 
and  chattering,  giving  news  of  some  enemy's 
proximity.  A  step  onward,  and  then,  with  the 
agility  and  power  which  is  so  amazing,  a  splendid 
leopard  bounded  into  the  path  ahead. 

I  wished  to  make  no  mistake  this  time,  and 
advanced  so  as  to  get  a  clear  view  and  sure  aim  at 
a  much  shorter  distance.  But  "  Nimr "  saw  the 
rifle,  and  would  not  wait.  I  felt  somewhat  akin  to 
Mustapha  and  his  gcdad,  for  the  leopard  leapt  back 
into  the  darkness  of  a  tree,  and  doubtless  escaped 
down  a  deep  ditch  close  by,  for  no  more  was  seen 
of  him.     It   appeared   to   me   that   he   was   of  a 


106   WILD  LIFE  AMONGST  BEASTIES 

yellower  colour  than  the  previous  one,  which  was 
ruddy  and  ringed,  but  the  shade  made  it  difficult 
to  judge. 

Here  we  pitched  our  camp,  as  the  ground  was 
high,  and  shaded  by  two  fine  tamarind-trees  (ardeb). 
jNlustapha,  still  incapacitated  by  fe\'er,  was  given  a 
drink  composed  of  a  decoction  of  the  fruit,  and 
retired  to  a  broken  rest ;  and  the  full  moon,  here 
almost  directly  overhead,  soon  looked  down  on 
men  snoring,  chattering,  praying,  or  singing,  while 
the  camels  chewed  aloud  and  the  donkeys  bellowed. 

It  is  strange  in  what  light  esteem  woman  is  held 
by  the  Arab.  A  beast  of  burden,  a  slave  without 
a  soul,  she  has  no  hope  of  reaching  Paradise,  though, 
to  the  Arab,  Paradise  without  woman  one  would 
have  thought  impossible.  She  ministers  to  his  wants 
and  prepares  his  food,  but  she  is  of  so  small  account 
that  daughters  are  not  reckoned  as  children,  and  in 
inquiring  how  many  children  there  are  in  a  family, 
the  question  is,  "  How  many  boys  have  you  ?"  ^"et 
I  imagine  that  here,  as  elsewhere,  feminine  influence 
is  a  power  not  underrated  by  wise  men. 

The  ever-ready  Fadl  el  JNIullah,  always  so  fond  of 
a  joke,  was  delighted  at  being  styled  "the  white," 
as  he  plastered  his  thick-lipped  mouth  with  the  dry 
white  powder  of  the  tebeldi  fruit,  and  repaid  me  by 
lighting  a  smoky  fire  of  the  perfumed  talh  wood 
between  me  and  the  camels.  He  inquired  how 
many  sons  I  had,  and  endeavoured  to  please  me  by 
ofttime  repeating  the  name  of  my  schoolboy  son, 
saying :  "  Basil  Eff'endi  will  come  to  the  Sudan ; 


THE  YEARNINGS  OF  ABDULLAH  107 

Ibnihim  vnll  guide  him  to  shoot  his  first  lion  ;  F'adl 
el  Mullah  will  skin  it ;  Bachit  Abdullah  will  carry 
his  water-bottle  and  lead  his  mule  ;  while  Abdullah 
the  father  will  guard  the  camp  and  make  a  good 
shade  for  the  angerib.'"  Always,  when  things  had 
gone  wrong  and  a  shade  appeared  over  my  face, 
these  good  fellows  would  think  to  lift  it  by  firstly 
a  whispered  "  Basil  EfFendi !"  one  to  the  other, 
rising  to  full  tones,  and  a  smile  when  they  saw  it 
had  caught  my  ear. 

This  sense  of  duty  on  the  part  of  the  Arab  guide 
had  its  counterpart  in  that  of  the  native  of  the 
Hebrides,  who,  acutely  conscious  of  Dr.  Johnson's 
expressed  antipathy  to  the  discomfort  of  riding 
downhill,  and  having  previously  heard  him  express 
his  pleasure  at  the  sight  of  the  browsing  goats, 
seized  the  occasion  of  a  growl  to  administer  an 
antidote,  in  all  kindness,  by  crying,  "  See,  what 
pretty  goats  !"  then  causing  them  to  jump  at  his 
whistle.  The  feeling  of  responsibility  exhibited  in 
both  instances  is  akin  to  the  primitive  parental. 

Bachit  Abdullah  had  ambitions ;  he  also  was 
youthful,  sturdy,  and  good-natured.  It  was  in 
England  that  he  desired  to  live.  All  who  come 
from  England  have  much  money  and  beautiful 
guns.     Their  food  is  rich  and  their  clothing  fine. 

He  remained  uninfluenced  by  my  news  that  it 
was  very  cold  there,  and  that  he  was  much  better 
off  in  Africa.  Pointing  out  that  he  had  sun,  and 
meat,  and  dhurra,  and  merissa,  and  honey,  I  asked 
him  what  more  he  could  want. 


108    WILD  LIFE  AMONGST  BEASTIES 

His  immediate  reply  was  *'  Garush  "  (coin) — that 
all  the  English  had  plenty  of  money.  And  why  did 
he  want  money  when  he  had  all  else  ?  The  cat 
came  out  of  the  bag ;  possessed  of  one  wife,  he 
wanted  a  number,  and  it  was  futile  to  endeavour 
to  disabuse  him  of  the  notion  of  the  universal 
wealth  of  the  English  people  or  of  the  desirability 
of  emulating  the  chiefs  of  the  herds  of  game  we 
see. 

At  Khor-um-Asal  a  fine  waterbuck  anticipated 
our  advance  and  cantered  away.  Many  herds  of 
does  and  immature  males  had  been  seen,  and  the 
prevalence  of  the  sportsman  had  left  its  mark. 

But  rounding  a  long  oval  maya,  Fadl  el  Mullah 
gave  the  quick  signal ;  I  hastily  threw  myself  off 
the  mule,  and  saw  on  the  far  side  a  herd,  including 
two  full-grown  buck.  Though  across  the  narrowest 
portion,  they  were  out  of  range,  and  a  long  circuit 
was  taken  with  the  usual  anxieties  caused  by 
change  of  position  and  veering  wind.  Once  they 
looked  up,  startled  by  a  scuttling  wart-hog,  but 
soon  settled  down  to  graze  once  more. 

Worming  my  way  over  a  small  wooded  knoll,  I 
lay  quite  still  as  the  buck  came  near,  fired,  and 
missed  unaccountably.  I  sprang  to  my  feet  as  the 
buck  bolted  off,  let  loose  my  second  barrel,  and 
brought  him  down  dead  as  a  stone. 

Here  again  my  squeamishness  was  laughed  at, 
when  the  Arabs  ate  red,  raw  tit-bits,  steaming  hot, 
from  the  poor  buck's  body. 

My  mule  was  generally  tractable  ;  the  exceptions 


*IIIMHllllU.Uh 


./jt.^>.^..-J:'-'-V.    .^. 


ILICIIT    OF    DUI  KKA    lUUDS    OX    TlIK    UlNDEU. 


WAIKKIUU  K     AT    K  HOR-UM -ASAL. 


To  face  page  lOS. 


THE  MULE  REBELS  109 

so  far  had  been  when  a  pair  of  partridges  lay  close 
in  their  tussock  of  grass  until  the  mule's  foot  came 
near  them.  The  flurry  of  the  flight  and  the  brush 
of  the  wings  was  startling  to  both  rider  and  mule, 
and  caused  many  a  narrow  escape  from  a  throw. 

But  there  was  also  a  calmness  about  that  mule ; 
she  knew  her  own  wants  and  disliked  interference. 
For  the  moment  she  yearned  for  the  simple  life. 
During  the  dismemberment  of  the  waterbuck,  she 
had  learned  to  love  the  coarse  straw  of  the  maya, 
and  there  was  enough  before  her  for  the  rest  of  the 
year. 

The  day  was  hot  and  the  maya  treeless  ;  my 
water-bottle  hung  on  the  pommel,  and  I  approached 
to  detach  it.  She  divined  my  intentions  differently, 
and,  being  content,  conceived  that  my  wish  was  to 
disturb  her  enjoyment. 

She  therefore,  without  vice  or  ill-feeling,  gently 
lifted  her  hind-leg,  planted  her  foot  deftly  in  my 
waistcoat,  and  sent  me  flying  over  the  wilderness  of 
the  maya.  My  laughter  demonstrating  no  evil 
effects,  the  boys  rushed  smiling  to  help  me,  but 
their  occupation  rendered  assistance  undesirable. 

The  time  of  year  was  unfavourable  for  studying 
the  flora  of  the  country ;  in  fact,  in  this  locality  I 
only  saw  one  bush  in  flower,  the  blooms  having  the 
heavy  scent  of  the  Christmas-rose,  the  white  male 
flower  and  the  yellow  mate  often  appearing  side 
by  side  on  the  same  twig. 

The  flower  of  the  tebeldi  is  gorgeous,  and  in  keep- 
ing with  the  majestic  appearance  of  the  tree  when 


110    WILD  LIFE  AMONGST  BEASTIES 

in  leaf,  but  only  the  pendent  pods  are  now  visible. 
These  vary  in  size  and  shape,  there  being  certainly 
two  distinct  varieties  in  this  district,  one  pod  being 
of  an  elongated  egg -shape,  about  9  inches  in  length, 
while  the  other  is  considerably  longer  and  no  more 
in  diameter. 

Wild-figs,  too,  were  in  evidence,  but  were  im- 
mature and  useless. 

It  is  often  a  subject  for  remark  that  it  is  almost 
invariably  the  European  who  is  the  first  to  spot 
game.  This  is  certainly  not  the  fault  of  the  eye- 
sight of  the  native,  which  appears  equal  to  that  of 
a  white  man  aided  by  a  Zeiss  binocular  magnifying 
twelve  diameters.  On  the  White  Nile,  a  Dinka 
pointed  out  antelope  on  a  distant  fringe  of  bush 
which  it  took  me  all  my  time  to  distinguish  with 
the  glass. 

But  unless  the  shikari  is  very  keen  as  a  sportsman 
— as  was  the  departed  Shereef — if  he  have  obtained 
his  supply  of  meat,  he  is  liable  to  go  to  sleep  while 
travelling,  and  to  lose  himself  in  dreams  of  an  earthly 
Paradise.  Not  only  his  eyesight  grows  dim,  but  his 
hearing,  and  so  particularly  was  this  the  case  with 
one  of  my  men,  that  on  three  separate  occasions 
he  failed  to  see  roan  antelope,  and  also  to  hear  the 
"cluck"  of  the  tongue  which  was  the  recognized 
signal  that  game  was  in  view. 

There  must  have  been  many  of  these  noble 
creatures  in  the  neighbourhood  that  day,  for,  on 
camping  in  the  early  evening,  Fadl  el  JNIullah  and 
Bachit,  son  of  Abdullah — both  desirous  of  becom- 


WOULD-BE  SHIKARIS  111 

ing  shikaris,  and  each  with  decided  opinions  and 
considerable  jealousy  of  the  other  —  rushed  to 
me  and  informed  me  that  "  Abu  Ooruf "  were 
crossing  the  river  -  bed.  Unfortunately,  both 
accompanied  me  the  short  distance,  and,  in  spite 
of  my  previous  injunctions  as  to  silence,  at  the 
critical  point  began  to  dispute  as  to  whether  this 
spot  or  a  farther  one  should  be  the  vantage-ground. 
The  high  tones  of  the  dispute,  and  the  necessary 
vehemence  of  my  objurgations,  gave  me  no  choice, 
for  on  looking  over  the  bank  the  antelope  were  on 
the  move  300  yards  away. 

Bachit  was  right,  for  Fadl  el  Mullah  was  obsessed 
with  the  idea  that  the  eye  of  a  crocodile  at  a 
quarter-mile's  range  was  quite  enough  mark  for  a 
moderate  gun.  The  range  of  my  foot  as  a  weapon 
of  offence  I  hoped  would  disabuse  him. 

Opposite,  in  the  blue  distance,  was  the  first  fore- 
runner— if  so  one  can  call  such  a  stationary  object 
as  a  hill — of  the  Abyssinian  highlands :  a  solitary 
granite  eminence  looking  quite  out  of  place,  and 
the  sunset  shone  red  on  its  boulders. 

I  woke  during  the  night  on  my  couch  under  the 
tamarind-tree,  and  thought  to  myself  what  comfort 
may  be  in  the  wilds.  So  snug  was  one's  bed,  so 
peaceful  and  quiet  the  night,  that  disturbance  and 
danger  seemed  distant  as  famine  and  cold. 

My  thoughts  were  broken  most  rudely ;  from 
very  close  quarters  there  sounded  the  impatient 
and  irritable  voice  of  a  lion,  whose  tone  was  quite 
different  from  others  we  had  heard. 


112   WILD  LIFE  AMONGST  BEASTIES 

The  fires  were  down  and  almost  extinct,  for, 
indeed,  such  was  the  effect  of  famiHarity  that  one 
had  almost  come  to  regard  their  use  as  unnecessary. 
All  the  men  were  asleep,  and  were  hard  to  awaken  ; 
but  when  Abdullah  arose  I  observed  a  certain 
celerity  in  his  movements,  which  with  him  was 
unusual,  the  camel-men  following  suit.  It  would 
appear  as  though  we  had  intruded  on  the  accus- 
tomed drinking-place  of  his  majesty,  and  I  gave 
way  to  desperate  hopes  for  the  morrow.         * 

There  was  time  to  speculate  on  these  hopes,  for 
our  wakeful  neighbour  was  in  no  hurry,  and  in- 
dulged in  the  airing  of  his  opinions  until  nature 
asserted  itself  and  unconsciousness  of  everything 
external  supervened  until  the  break  of  day. 

The  half-light  saw  us  astir  ;  the  camels  were  put 
under  weigh  while  I  started  to  seek  for  the  com- 
plainant of  the  night.  Not  90  yards  away  we 
found  his  spoor,  leading  us  to  liope  for  a  speedy 
discovery. 

On  approaching  the  spot  in  the  evening,  I  had 
noticed  a  vulture  or  two  flying  low,  but  in  insuffi- 
cient number  to  point  to  anything  out  of  the  way. 

Descending  to  a  gentle-sloped  Ixlior,  we  entered 
high  grass  and  emerged  into  a  somewhat  open 
space.  For  an  instant  something  brown  moved  on 
the  opposite  side,  and  the  flash  of  a  hope  rose  high. 
It  fell,  for  no  lion  was  there,  but  just  a  roan 
antelope  gazed  momentarily  at  us,  before  covering 
retreat  in  the  thick  growth  of  grass. 

Onward,    still    onward,     parting    the    herbage, 


THE  TRUCULENT  RHINOCEROS    113 

inspecting  each  shadow,  quiet-stepping  and  silent 
we  moved,  till  we  stood  over  the  fresh  bones  of  a 
waterbuck,  not  a  day  or  two  old.  Not  a  monient 
was  lost,  but  for  hundreds  of  yards  the  thick  bushes 
were  walked  through  and  nothing  was  seen. 
Twenty-four  hours  later  two  lions  appeared  to 
a  traveller  downstream,  and  one  of  them  failed  to 
escape. 

In  certain  localities  on  the  Dinder  are  said  to  be 
the  somewhat  scarce  rhinoceros,  far  more  common 
in  East  Africa.  It  was  well  until  recently  not  to 
stumble  on  them  in  the  Sudan,  for,  while  they  were 
forbidden  game,  they  are  also  of  the  most  truculent 
character.  The  presence  of  mankind,  made  known 
to  these  pachyderms  by  a  tell-tale  breeze  or  casual 
noise,  is  sufficient  to  bring  down  the  charge  of 
the  "  heavy  brigade  "  with  purposeful  intensity  and 
exactness.  Under  such  circumstances,  even  the 
game  regulations  of  the  Sudan  must  expect  to 
be  broken  and  asperities  of  officialdom  softened. 
Not  being  numerous,  these  animals  may  be  re- 
garded as  all  but  non-existent  to  the  traveller 
here. 

The  "  white  "  rhinoceros,  whose  colour  is  black, 
now  all  but  extinct,  is  never  seen  here,  though  in 
the  regions  of  the  Bahr-el-Gebel,  on  the  Congo 
side,  they  are  still  said  to  exist. 

It  was  in  the  Zambesi  Valley  in  1895  that  I  saw 
the  remains  of,  I  believe,  the  last  individual  of  its 
kind  that  was  killed  in  South  Africa,  far  in  the 
north  of  Mashonaland.     The   front  horn   of  this 

8 


114    WILD  LIFE  AMONGST  BEASTIES 

beast  was  nearly  a  yard  long,  and  the  specimen  is 
set  up  entire  in  the  South  African  Museum. 

The  rhinoceros  of  the  Sudan  has  a  prehensile  lip, 
fitted  for  gathering  twigs,  instead  of  the  stumpy, 
grass-clipping  muzzle  of  its  cousin,  who,  while 
greatly  exceeding  the  other  in  bulk,  is  by  no  means 
superior  in  fierceness  and  agility. 

In  the  regions  where  termites  infest  the  country, 
black  hillocks  show  up  amidst  the  grass.  Often 
these  assume  the  most  curious  shapes,  and  it  be- 
comes a  matter  of  moment  to  decide  whether  they 
are  in  reality  animals  grazing,  or  merely  the  struc- 
tures of  the  white  ant. 

I  have  looked  at  these  objects  intently  to  ascertain 
their  actual  character,  and  been  subject  to  a  common 
illusion.  One  so  often  sees  that  which  one  wishes 
to  see,  and  the  movement  of  grass  blown  by  the 
wind  becomes  the  movement  of  the  hillock  in 
stationary  grass,  thus  giving  apparent  life  to  an 
inanimate  object  1 

In  Rhodesia  the  ant-hills  attain  an  enormous 
size,  being  often  as  much  as  30  feet  high,  crowned 
by  small  groves  of  trees  ;  here  they  were  miniature 
in  comparison. 

Clumps  of  the  finger-leaf  palm  were  scattered 
here  and  there,  and  on  nearing  one  Ibrahim  made 
his  usual  crouching  stop,  and  I  instantly  followed 
his  lead.  We  crawled  breathlessly  under  its  cover, 
progressing  uphill,  and  just  as  we  reached  it  a  roan 
antelope  lifted  his  head  from  the  far  side  over  the 
palm.     My  admiration  was  not  reciprocated,  and 


LION  KITTENS  115 

by  the  time  I  had  walked  round  the  clump  he  was 
far  away,  putting  every  possible  tree-trunk  between 
us,  though  only  half  a  dozen  yards  in  a  direct 
line  through  the  clump  had  at  first  divided  him 
from  us. 

It  is  somewhat  strange,  considering  the  extra- 
ordinary development  of  the  senses  of  smell,  sight, 
and  hearing,  and  the  eternal  vigilance  of  animals 
who  live  amongst  beasts  of  prey,  that  it  should  be 
possible  to  approach  so  closely,  especially  with  the 
disadvantage  of  hard  shoe-leather  and  the  laboured 
breathing  caused  by  movement  in  strained  and 
unaccustomed  attitudes,  with  the  weight  of  a  rifle 
in  one  hand. 

The  Abyssinian  frontier  was  now  within  a  few 
miles,  marking  the  end  of  the  somewhat  hurried 
journey  up  the  Binder,  and  there  was  a  distinct 
change  in  the  character  of  the  country. 

Here  three  baby  lions,  carried  in  boxes  on  camel- 
back,  were  met,  accompanied  by  the  slayer  of  their 
mother,  on  his  way  downstream.  The  httle 
creatures,  with  their  huge  wild  eyes,  were  quite 
tractable  after  their  few  days'  captivity,  and  sub- 
mitted to  caresses  with  almost  the  equanimity  of 
kittens.  Months  later,  when  grown  out  of  all 
recognition,  one  licked  my  hand  through  the  bars 
of  his  cage  in  Regent's  Park,  which  unhappily 
witnessed  his  death  and  that  of  his  companion 
some  time  later. 


8—2 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  ABYSSINIAN  FRONTIER 

Ten  miles  from  the  frontier  lies  Abu  Ramleh,  the 
post  of  the  department  which  is  devoted  to  the 
gradual  extinction  of  the  system  of  slavery  in  the 
Sudan.  It  is  by  no  means  universally  known  that 
this  system  still  exists  in  a  curtailed  form,  the 
Government  very  wisely  abstaining  from  a  sudden 
revolutionary  change  which  would  provoke  a 
cataclysm  by  upsetting  the  whole  internal  economy 
of  the  country,  and  preferring,  while  giving  safe- 
guards for  the  proper  treatment  of  slaves,  and  for 
the  attainment  of  their  liberty  if  desired,  to  cause 
the  arrangement  to  die  a  natural  death  by  cutting 
off  fresh  supplies.  This  it  does  with  remarkable 
success,  aided  by  the  difficulties  of  travel  in  the 
wet  season,  and  in  the  dry  season  by  the  occupation 
of  the  isolated  spots  where  water  can  be  obtained. 
Only  one  case  of  slave-running  occurred  in  1908. 

It  was  in  this  province  that  an  incident  occurred 
which  was  related  to  me  in  the  course  of  my 
journey  on  the  Zeraf  Seven  slave-dealers  were,  by 
what  appeared  to  them  a  most  unhappy  accident, 

116 


A  SLAVE-RAIDING  INCIDENT     117 

caught,  with  their  party  of  slaves,  by  a  native 
Sheikh  of  some  importance,  on  the  Abyssinian 
frontier.  Five  of  them  were  promptly  led  up  a 
precipitous  rock,  and  received  a  slight  push  ;  the 
rest  concerned  the  hytenas  and  vultures.  The  "bag" 
reached  the  ears  of  the  Government,  but  not  so  the 
punishment,  and  the  Sheikh  was  called  on  to  send 
the  offenders  for  trial.  The  poor  fellow  was  at  his 
wits'  end  to  comply,  but  with  grim  irony  exhibited 
the  resource  of  the  savage.  In  the  old  days,  there 
being  seven  men  to  be  accounted  for,  seven  men, 
of  course,  would  have  had  to  be  found,  and  that 
they  did  not  happen  to  be  the  real  delinquents 
would  have  mattered  as  little  in  Africa  as  in  China. 
So  the  Sheikh  "  bagged  "  five  poor,  innocent  traders* 
and  sent  them  up,  with  the  two  slavers  surviving, 
to  the  Government  centre.  The  latter  protested 
their  innocence  as  energetically  as  the  five  victims, 
and  the  Sheikh  so  impressed  the  slaves  with  the 
statement  that,  if  they  told  the  truth,  horrors 
unimaginable  awaited  them  in  this  life  and  here- 
after, that  they  implicitly  obeyed  his  commands. 
So  it  seemed  likely  that  a  grave  miscarriage  of 
justice  would  take  place  ;  but  there  remained  a 
small  boy,  and  that  boy,  as  usual,  had  an  appetite, 
and  that  appetite  caused  a  craving  for  sugar,  the 
temptation  of  which  induced  him  to  talk,  and  the 
whole  story  came  out.  The  slaves  were  reassured, 
confirmed  the  facts,  and  all  came  right  in  the  end, 
the  merchants  being  released,  and  the  slavers  saving 
their  skins  by  being  condemned   to  seven  years' 


118      THE  ABYSSINIAN  FRONTIER 

hard  labour,  which  was  a  "  mercy  "  compared  with 
the  rough-and-ready  justice  of  their  captors. 

In  the  old  days  of  Eg^^tian  occupation  the 
slave  trade  was  enormous  and  lucrative.  Khartoum 
was  the  central  mart,  possessed  an  immense  pop- 
ulation, and  its  wealth  and  prosperity  were  extreme. 
Small  wonder  that,  among  a  vast  proportion  of  its 
present  population,  apart  from  racial  and  religious 
hatred,  there  exists  a  resentment,  covert  but  intense, 
for  the  hiterference  with  a  staple  and  highly  profit- 
able trade.  Moreover,  agriculture  is  suffering  con- 
siderably owing  to  the  impossibility  of  obtaining  free 
labour  at  remunerative  rates,  and  the  "small  holder" 
is  being  driven  off  his  land.  The  sakieh,  too,  costs 
too  much,  and  the  native  has  not  reached  the  level 
of  appreciating  an  oil-engine  and  pump,  as  has 
happened  in  Egypt. 

In  English  eyes  such  servitude  is  in  itself 
abominable,  apart  from  the  horrors  which  are  part 
and  parcel  of  the  system  of  recruiting.  But  it  is 
questionable  whether  the  native  himself  views 
slavery  quite  in  the  same  light  after  the  initial 
experience  is  passed,  which  experience,  of  course, 
was  not  invariable.  The  initial  terror  of  slavery 
lies  first  in  the  taking  of  slaves,  in  the  horrors  of 
surprise,  the  destruction  of  home  and  disruption  of 
families,  the  death  by  murder  or  starvation  of 
those  unfit  or  unrequired,  and  in  the  cruelties  and 
mortality  of  the  march.  At  the  best  of  times,  the 
negroid  in  this  country  is  the  slave  of  Nature,  which 
oft  turns  against  him.     He  has  to  fight  in  his  home 


FROM  SLAVE  TO  BIMBASHI       119 

country  against  famine  and  tempest,  and  in  many 
places  has  hard  enough  work  to  pull  through. 

Of  the  destruction  of  individuality  and  self- 
responsibility  not  so  much  can  be  said  from  the 
practical  as  from  the  ethical  point  of  view.  As  the 
slave  of  some  Arab  he  feels  no  personal  responsi- 
bility ;  as  a  rule  he  is  well  treated,  and  his  food  is 
found  for  him,  whether  during  the  period  when  he 
puts  in  his  work — no  harder  than,  in  any  case,  he 
would  have  done  for  himself — or  during  the  days 
when  field  -  work  is  not  needed.  This  suits  his 
temperament,  but  fails  to  stimulate  what  intellect 
he  has. 

I  once  came  across  a  Dinka  Bimbashi  of  the 
Sudanese  army,  whose  early  days  were  passed  as  a 
slave  near  Esneh  in  Egypt.  He  told  me  he  worked 
in  the  fields  with  the  fellahin  and  was  perfectly 
happy  at  this  time  of  his  youth  ;  he  was  well  fed 
and  comfortable ;  but,  still,  said  this  six-foot-four 
piece  of  black  energy,  "  I  prefer  my  life  now." 
With  the  dignity  of  rank,  the  satisfaction  of  pay, 
and  the  chance  of  a  good  rough-and-tumble  in  a 
small  native  war,  he  had  reason  to  do  so.  He  was 
at  Haifa  when  Gordon  was  killed  at  Khartoum. 

Another  of  Zobeir's  slaves  whom  I  saw  and 
questioned,  a  silent,  withered  old  man,  said  that 
now  he  had  freedom  he  could  not  appreciate  it. 
All  sense  of  self-responsibility  had  probably  been 
destroyed  in  him,  and  he  therefore  felt  lost  and 
bewildered. 

When  amongst  the  wilder  negroid  tribes,  it  is 


120      THE  ABYSSINIAN  FRONTIER 

difficult  to  persuade  them  that  one  is  not  a  Turk 
— i.e.,  Egyptian — the  fact  that  one  is  white  and  of 
the  ruHng  race  being  sufficient  to  cause  the  name 
Turk  to  be  appHed  to  all. 

Such  horrible  memories  cling  to  the  reputation 
of  the  old  regime,  and  to  the  days  of  the  Dervish 
rule,  that  the  utmost  nervousness  is  displayed  by 
those  who  come  for  the  first  time  into  contact  with 
white  people,  as  was  demonstrated  during  the  latter 
part  of  my  wanderings,  in  the  Bahr-el-Zeraf. 

The  Egyptian  Government  of  the  Sudan  in  the 
days  of  Baker  was  in  effect  a  horde  of  slave-dealers 
who  commanded  the  sympathy  of  the  ruling  classes 
in  Egypt  proper,  and  who  were  the  chiefs  of  an 
enormous  and  infamous  organization  which  utilized 
tribal  warfare  and  death  for  the  attainment  of  its 
abominable  ends,  and  left  famine  and  depopulation 
in  its  trail. 

The  devastating  results  of  the  Dervish  rule  have 
been  already  referred  to,  and  it  is  stated  on  com- 
petent authority  that  a  population  now  estimated 
at  from  a  million  and  a  half  to  two  millions 
amounted  to  full  eight  and  a  half  millions  before  the 
days  of  the  Mahdi. 

The  main  waterways  from  Abyssinia  are  now 
jealously  guarded.  The  slightest  relaxation  of  this 
keen  watch  would  be  the  signal  for  a  revival 
of  the  trade,  and  even  now  it  is  possible  that 
a  few  traders,  who  are  generally  well-known  and 
desperate  characters,  do  succeed  in  getting  past. 
But  there  is  an  elaborate  detective  system — with 


SUBSTITUTES  FOR  A  BLACK  SKIN  121 

its  counterpart  on  the  other  side — and  the  occupa- 
tion of  the  water-holes  makes  a  successful  evasion 
difficult. 

The  slavery  police  were  polite  enough  to  turn  out 
and  present  arms.  It  was  fortunate  that  they  were 
accustomed  to  seeing  Englishmen  in  garb  which 
has  seen  wear,  else  such  a  mark  of  respect  would 
not  have  been  forthcoming.  Weeks  of  tramping 
through  thorn  and  scrub,  of  scrambling  and  crawl- 
ing on  rough  or  burnt  ground,  of  the  pounding  and 
beating  of  native  washermen,  of  incessant  scrubbing 
against  the  post  of  a  camel  viaMiifa  (saddle),  have 
a  sadly  deteriorating  effect  on  the  respectability  of 
anyone's  appearance. 

A  large  rakuba,  or  Government  rest-house,  was 
here  provided,  and  was  a  valuable  retreat  from  the 
sun-rays  during  the  day.  One  of  the  great  bless- 
ings of  the  Sudan  is  the  darkness  of  the  native 
tukls.  It  would  seem  that  it  is  quite  understood 
that  discomfort  and  danger  do  not  proceed  so  much 
from  the  actual  heat  of  the  sun  as  from  either  its 
light  or  some  rays  which  are  not  appreciable  by  the 
senses.  Herein  lies  the  value  of  advice  to  wear  red 
or  black  underclothing  to  take  the  place  of  the  pig- 
ment with  which  the  skin  of  the  native  has  been 
provided,  and  which  undoubtedly  enables  him  to 
support  exposure  to  the  sun  in  a  much  greater 
measure  than  can  a  European. 

The  situation  of  Abu  Ramleh  (Father  of  Sand) 
is  quite  charming.  The  monotony  of  flat  river-bed 
and   long,   low,    dull  coloured   bush-line   had   dis- 


122      THE  ABYSSINIAN  FRONTIER 

appeared,  huge  stones  jutted  out  of  the  sand,  and 
rocky  undulations  were  apparent  on  land.  Trees 
were  green  and  bushy,  flowers  were  more  frequent, 
and  at  times  quite  a  height  was  attained  above 
river-level. 

Every  step  forward  gave  a  rise  in  elevation  ;  the 
air  was  fresher,  and  there  was  a  certain  exhilaration 
in  the  knowledge  that  the  dead-level  was  behind 
and  the  joy  of  the  hills  ahead,  though  only  to  be 
seen  from  afar. 

Many  warnings  had  been  addressed  to  me  to 
be  careful  not  to  cross  the  frontier,  as  the  conse- 
quences might  be  uncomfortable,  and  even  serious. 
Strangers  are  not  welcomed  in  Abyssinia  unless 
their  advent  be  accompanied  by  official  permission, 
and  even  that  is  liable  to  be  questioned  by  some 
petty  chief. 

An  Abyssinian  prison  would  not  appear  to  be  a 
healthy  place,  and  abode  therein  may  be  indeter- 
minate in  length  ;  in  fact,  there  were  rumours  of  at 
least  one  white  man  who  had  dared  to  enter  the 
country,  and  was  still  engaged  in  doing  useful  field- 
work  for  a  gentleman  of  colour  and  scanty  respect 
for  civilization. 

A  vast  area  of  land  between  here  and  Khartoum 
had  long  been  in  dispute  between  Abyssinia  and 
the  various  Governments  of  the  Sudan ;  in  fact,  in 
the  fourth  century  Abyssinian  territory  is  said  to 
have  extended  as  far  as  the  Nile,  and  the  frontier 
has  only  been  adjusted  since  the  reconquest. 

The  people  in  the  districts  on  the  other  side  of 


THE  HOME  OF  THE  KUDU        123 

the  frontier  are  not  Abyssinian,  being  more  Arab 
in  character  and  race. 

The  Khor  Abu  Ramleh  is  a  considerable  feeder 
to  the  Dinder  on  the  left  bank  in  the  rains,  but,  like 
it,  now  only  contained  occasional  pools.  Shining 
lustrous  in  the  sunlight,  many  large  mother-of-pearl 
shells  lay  in  the  river-sand  as  we  crossed  to  follow 
the  short  stretch  of  the  Dinder  which  remained 
for  us. 

Here  is  to  be  found  the  kudu,  with  its  lovely 
twisted  horns,  and  I  would  willingly  have  re- 
mained for  a  time  in  the  neighbourhood,  but  the 
journey  to  the  White  Nile  was  long  and  hard,  and 
the  steamer  which  was  to  take  me  south  to  more 
barbarous  regions  was  due  in  a  minimum  of  time. 

Two  miles  out,  travelling  silently  over  broken 
and  stony  ground,  the  spur  of  an  eminence  ran 
slanting  down  to  the  river-bank,  where  it  ended 
precipitously.  Rounding  its  rocky  face,  we  found  it 
the  side  of  a  gully,  and  a  patch  of  loose,  dusty  soil 
under  the  low  cliff  showed  it  to  be  the  haunt  of 
antelope,  who  used  it  for  dusting  their  coats  by  roll- 
ing. The  ground  was  covered  with  recent  spoor, 
but,  with  an  appearance  of  alertness,  my  Arab  in 
front  was  dreaming,  his  thoughts  being  far  away 
with  his  wives  and  his  meat  and  merissa,  so  he 
heard  not  my  '*  clucks,"  and  went  straight  away  on. 
I  gave  up  the  attempt  to  stop  him,  and  reached  for 
my  rifle,  but  by  that  time  the  roan  antelope  which 
had  stood  still,  astonished  by  our  sudden  appearance 
not  10  yards  away,  came  to  its  senses,  and,  dodging 


124      THE  ABYSSINIAN  FRONTIER 

behind  a  large  bush,  was  away  up  the  hill  and  lost 
amidst  boulders  and  trees.  It  was  a  well-deserved 
lesson  to  me  :  had  I  not  succumbed  to  laziness,  and 
had  but  carried  my  rifle  myself,  he  could  scarcely 
have  escaped.  It  must  be  confessed  that  the 
temptation  is  great  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  when 
many  miles  are  being  traversed,  to  shift  the  burden 
sometimes  to  another,  but  it  is  often  regretted. 

The  shamefaced  shikari,  smarting  under  my 
tongue,  now  applied  himself  to  his  business,  and 
in  my  turn  I  was  hardly  prepared,  when  he  pointed 
into  the  shade  of  the  river-side  trees,  as  we  ap- 
proached from  across  a  bend,  for  a  herd  of  kudu  to 
break  out.  They  were  far  out  of  range,  and  must 
have  been  watching  our  progress  across  the  bare 
ground  and  through  the  burnt  trees  for  full  half  a 
mile. 

My  own  eyes  had  become  pretty  sharp  through 
continual  watchfulness,  knowing  I  could  place  little 
trust  in  the  keenness  of  the  men  now  the  meat  had 
gone  back,  but  I  utterly  failed  to  distinguish  the 
forms  of  the  kudu  before  they  made  off.  To  the 
shikari  they  were  entirely  clear,  and  the  superiority 
of  the  native  over  even  a  trained  European  eye 
was  again  made  manifest. 

But  keen  eyesight  is  by  no  means  the  monopoly 
of  the  human  inhabitant  of  the  Sudan.  Time  after 
time  I  have  been  surprised  at  the  wonderful  vision 
of  the  crocodile.  Movement,  of  course,  is  the  great 
betrayer  of  the  presence  of  life,  and  passage  along 
a  bank,  although  almost  hidden,  will  be  speedily 


THE  WILY  CROCODILE  125 

noted  by  these  seemingly  sluggish  creatures.  Again, 
I  have  sat  as  still  as  a  rock  to  the  leeward  of  buck 
without  being  discovered.  So,  as  the  crocodile  here 
were  numerous  and  large,  I  determined  to  stalk 
them.  To  show  oneself,  or  merely  one's  head,  at 
the  edge  of  the  bank  was  the  inevitable  signal  for 
a  rushing  dispersal  into  the  pool-waters  below.  So 
I  chose  the  cover  of  a  thick  tree,  overhanging  the 
water  at  a  height  of  30  feet,  at  a  spot  where,  over  a 
distance  of  300  yards  on  the  sandy  shore  80  yards 
opposite,  were  a  dozen  or  more  reptiles,  two  lying 
directly  in  front  of  me. 

Hidden  by  the  foliage,  I  crawled  inch  by  inch, 
worming  along  prone  under  the  cover  of  the  thick 
tree-trunk,  so  that  at  no  time  could  more  than  a 
portion  of  my  helmeted  head  have  shown  over  the 
edge  of  the  bank  amongst  the  leaves.  They  were 
also  to  windward,  so  no  question  of  their  powers  of 
scent  came  in.  Yet  nine -tenths  of  them,  firstly  the 
most  distant,  and  all  apparently  sleeping,  detected 
the  movement,  slight  and  slow  as  it  was,  had 
divined  it  to  be  due  to  no  other  creature  than  man, 
and  had  crawled  into  cover. 

Only  the  two  which  were  hidden  entirely  by  the 
tree-trunk  remained,  and  a  bullet  went  plumb  into 
the  neck  of  the  nearer  ;  his  enormous  jaws  opened 
wide,  his  tail  moved  convulsively,  taking  him  just 
into  the  water,  where  he  lay  still  in  the  shallows. 

This  day  was  a  day  of  disasters.  All  sportsmen 
must  have  such  in  their  memories,  when  the  ill- 
chance   of   circumstance   seems   to   prevail.      But 


126      THE  ABYSSINIAN  FRONTIER 

every  such  circumstance  carries  its  lesson,  and  it 
is  the  ready  remembrance  of  such  which  gives  the 
value  to  experience. 

Midday  had  arrived  ;  we  were  still  on  the  tramp, 
with  the  heat  at  its  height.  Strolling  along  in  the 
river-bed,  lazy  and  unconcerned,  were  four  kudu. 
These  creatures  are  by  no  means  common,  and 
seem  to  frequent  only  favoured  localities.  Their 
size  is  considerable,  and  the  large  spiral  horns  aid 
in  making  them  one  of  the  handsomest  antelopes 
known.  In  the  Sudan  the  horns  do  not  appear  to 
attain  the  proportions  that  they  do  in  Rhodesia, 
and  none  of  those  seen  in  this  district  seemed  equal 
to  quite  ordinary  specimens  which  I  secured  there. 

I  got  in  my  shot  quite  well,  and  the  best  kudu 
fell  plumb,  and  remained  stretched  out  on  the  sand 
down  the  river.  The  others  stood  staring  to  look 
for  the  cause,  but,  knowing  their  scarcity,  I  forbore 
to  fire,  one  example  sufficing.  Carelessly  rising,  I 
instructed  the  boys  to  descend  to  him,  and  turned 
away  while  they  ran  by  the  bank  for  an  easy  way 
down.  A  shout  made  me  turn  ;  I  saw  the  buck 
move,  rise  well  to  its  feet,  get  into  its  stride,  and 
follow  its  friends  with  despatch  !  The  dead  had 
arisen.  A  flying  shot,  almost  hopeless  at  the  dis- 
tance, failed  to  turn  it ;  it  scaled  the  bank  just 
ahead  of  the  men,  and  entered  the  forest. 

The  probability  is  that  the  bullet  had  just  grazed 
its  spine,  and  for  the  few  moments  knocked  it 
senseless  ;  and  in  this  connection  it  is  possible  that 
I  had  made  too  little  allowance  for  the  effect  of  the 


"THERE  IS  MANY  A  SLIP"       127 

midday  heat  on  the  cordite  of  the  cartridge.  It  is 
a  well-known  fact  that  heat  causes  a  gun  to  throw 
high,  and  it  is  said  that  6  inches  error  at  a  100  yards 
is  not  too  much  to  allow  when  the  sun  is  at  its 
highest. 

I  urged  my  men  at  a  breakneck  pace  on  its 
tracks,  but  they  were  lost  before  long  on  the  stony 
ground.  Feeling  it  possible  that,  with  the  tenacity 
of  life  exhibited  so  often,  even  when  mortally 
wounded,  it  might  have  made  a  final  struggle  and 
succumbed,  I  followed  the  direction  in  which  the 
spoor  led,  and  not  half  a  mile  away,  so  true  our 
direction  had  been,  the  troop  of  four  animals  burst 
from  cover  and  finally  disappeared.  So  ended 
my  opportunity  of  matching  a  Rhodesian  with  a 
Sudanese  mate. 

We  were  now  right  on  the  frontier,  and  blue  in 
the  distance  rose  steep,  isolated  mountains,  appear- 
ing, in  the  usual  African  fashion,  accidental  and 
out  of  their  element.  And  yet  they  seemed  almost 
systematized  in  arrangement,  and  constituted  a 
chain  of  natural  fortresses  stretching  away  down 
the  frontier-line.  One  of  the  nearest  of  these  was 
named  Gebel  Magnun  (Mount  Fool),  and  on  my 
return  journey  I  found  it  a  most  fitting  synonym 
for  those  who  accompanied  me. 

The  two  boys  were  with  me,  and  their  rank 
disobedience  was  the  cause  of  the  last  of  my 
troubles.  Bachit,  keen  as  mustard,  spotted  Abu 
Ooruf  (roan)  coming  out  of  the  opposite  bush. 
Swiftly   we   ran  downstream,  far  back   from   the 


128      THE  ABYSSINIAN  FRONTIER 

bank,  to  the  spot  they  were  quietly  making  for. 
I  crawled  through  the  grass,  and  rested  still  as  a 
mouse,  with  my  sights  fixed  on  an  excellent  buck 
now  well  within  range  ;  my  finger  was  pressing  the 
trigger,  and  a  thousandth  part  of  a  second  remained, 
when,  with  a  startling  change  of  movement  de- 
structive of  aim,  they  whisked  round  with  a  flash 
and  galloped  away. 

Turning  round  now,  the  cause  was  apparent. 
The  two  boys,  whom  I  had  sternly  commanded 
to  wait  behind  under  cover,  had  longed  to  be  in 
at  the  kill,  and  appeared  on  the  bank,  utterly 
wrecking  my  chances.  My  feelings  baffle  descrip- 
tion ;  I  took  Bachit  by  the  arm  and  showed  him 
the  kurbash  (hippo  -  hide  whip).  KnoAving  his 
fault  and  deserts,  he  readily  responded,  "  Haddir, 
EfFendi"  ("All  right,"  "ready,"  or  "certainly," 
"  sir  "),  and  prepared  for  a  thrashing  without  the 
sign  of  a  murmur  and  as  a  matter  of  course.  Gebel 
Magnun  as  a  name  always  sobered  him  after. 

The  backs  of  these  boys  and  of  many  of  the 
men  of  different  tribes  are  seamed  and  scarred  by 
the  kurbash  in  a  terrible  way ;  when  asked  what 
the  marks  are,  they  are  intensely  amused,  and  their 
cause  seems  considered  an  experience  of  fun  and 
enjoyment,  a  recollection  inspiring  happiness  and 
laughter.  They  are  said  to  be  due  to  ebullitions 
of  playfulness  after  a  diluka,  or  dance-feast. 


CHAPTER    VII 

FROM  BINDER,  AND  NILE  TO  NILE 

After  hunting  from  sunrise  to  sunset,  with  only 
an  hour  of  rest,  it  was  by  a  great  effort  of  will  that 
I  brought  myself  to  face  the  five  hours'  journey  by 
moonlight  on  the  way  to  Roseires. 

The  journey  had  to  be  strictly  planned,  for  the 
distance  was  about  seventy  miles  ;  water  was 
already  exceedingly  scarce,  and  the  places  where 
any  whatever  could  be  obtained  were  but  three  in 
number. 

So,  tired  as  I  was,  those  five  weary  hours  in  the 
darkness  had  to  be  patiently  plodded  through ; 
even  the  moon  had  nearly  deserted  us,  and  only 
the  catlike  eyes  of  the  Arab  in  front  could  see 
any  sign  of  the  faintest  of  tracks.  My  route  lay 
almost  due  west  across  the  Blue  Nile,  through 
Roseires  to  Renk  on  the  "  White,"  a  distance 
of  nearly  200  miles  through  a  nearly  waterless 
country. 

I  had  brought  four  goatskins  {gii'bas)  from  Singa 
for  use  on  these  cross-country  journeys,  and  un- 
inviting they  are  to  English  ideas.  Black,  sweating, 
and   gorged,  they  smelt   of  the   tan,   and   a  new 

129  9 


130    FROM  BINDER,  AND  NILE  TO  NILE 

one  would  part  with  a  scum  which  gave  taste  to 
the  water.  For  this  reason  old  ones  are  best. 
Great  care  must  be  taken  of  the  skins  not  in  use, 
as  they  are  liable  to  be  punctured  by  a  small  insect. 
When  once  this  occurs,  or  they  are  torn,  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  mend  them.  ]\Iany  Government  folk 
used  iron  receptacles  specially  adapted  for  carrying 
on  camel-back,  but  to  my  mind  they  are  by  no 
means  so  practical,  save  in  the  amount  that  they 
carry.  The  water  was  half  boiled  by  the  sun  on 
the  iron,  and  rough  treatment  caused  many  a  leak, 
whereas  the  girba  by  its  sweating  kept  cool,  adapted 
itself  to  inequalities  of  surface,  was  Ughter,  and  took 
up  no  space  when  empty.  The  rude  thorn  had 
certainly  to  be  guarded  against,  and  my  thirsty 
mule  was  at  one  point  convicted  of  tearing  a  hole 
in  a  girha,  vainly  endeavouring  to  gather  the  van- 
ishing drops. 

In  general  the  camel-men  would  place  their 
girbas  in  a  safe  spot  just  behind  the  maklufa,  the 
only  disadvantage  being  that  through  the  pores  of 
the  skin  some  exchange  was  likely  to  be  effected 
between  its  contents  and  the  sweat  of  the  camel. 

At  midnight  we  camped  for  but  four  hours'  rest. 
How  those  four  hours  raced  !  Still  dark  when  we 
rose,  the  coffee  awakened  one,  the  going  was  pleasant 
in  the  fresh  morning  hours,  and  the  track  not 
too  bad. 

A  small  gebel  appeared  before  us,  skirted  by 
trees,  and  roan  antelope  raced  round  the  patches  of 
grass. 


THE  ROUTE  TO  ROSEIRES         131 

Piercing  the  tree  belt,  a  broad  space  opened  out 
at  the  foot  of  the  liill,  which  is  called  Maganou  ; 
here  was  a  large  sloping  "  pan "  in  the  shelving 
rock,  containing  what  by  the  Arabs  was  popularly- 
called  "  water."  In  no  place  was  the  depth  more 
than  2  inches,  and  it  was  rapidly  drying.  From 
events  that  I  saw,  it  must  have  been  quite  ammon- 
iacal ;  the  black  mud  which  the  drinkers  disturbed 
supported  squashy  vegetation  which  covered  the 
main  part  of  the  surface.  Yet  the  camels  and 
men  rushed  down  to  it,  no  after  ill-effects  being 
experienced. 

The  gebel  was  most  picturesque ;  its  rough, 
precipitous  sides  were  covered  with  rank  vegeta- 
tion ;  in  every  nook  and  corner  amongst  the 
boulders  bushes  and  baobabs  sprang.  In  the 
foreground  the  camels  and  natives  gave  the 
requisite  factor  of  life. 

For  twenty  weary  miles  of  slow  travel  through 
all  too  thin  trees  and  great  open  plains  that  seemed 
never  to  end,  we  plodded  along. 

A  track  had  been  made  by  the  Roseires  authori- 
ties, but  of  all  the  travesties  encountered  in  life 
this  was  the  worst.  True,  it  gave  us  the  way,  but, 
rather  than  ease  the  going  for  camels  and  mules,  this 
was  rendered  far  worse,  and  the  animals  obstinately 
refused  to  employ  it,  preferring  the  inequalities  of 
the  softer  soil  to  the  hard-trodden  and  burning  hot 
track. 

The  kind  night  fell  on  the  last  stages  of  our  trek ; 
mile  after  mile  appeared  longer ;    even  the  blithe 

9—2 


132    FROM  BINDER,  AND  NILE  TO  NILE 

Fadl  el  IMullah  looked  sour,  and  Bachit  lagged 
behind.  The  camelcade  straggled  to  a  mile-long 
line  ;  the  water-skins  grew  empty  and  flabby,  and 
camels  complained. 

Then  in  the  gloom  the  dark  form  of  a  mountain 
appeared,  and  for  miles  we  skirted  it,  passing  at 
last  to  its  farther  end,  and  reaching,  thank  God,  the 
"  slavery  post "  of  Gebel  Gerri. 

Even  here  there  was  so  little  water  that  it  was 
carefully  kept  for  the  use  of  the  police,  whose  posts 
are  neatly  arranged  and  tidily  kept,  being  fenced  in 
with  grass  and  well  swept,  and  for  the  folk  of  the 
small  village  near. 

Now  only  six  hours  away  is  Roseires,  where  I 
am  to  cross  the  Blue  Nile,  nearly  400  miles  from 
its  junction  with  the  White  Nile  at  Khartoum,  on 
a  still  harder  journey.  The  river  was  struck  some 
miles  above  the  town,  and  the  vegetation  was  an 
extraordinary  change  to  that  among  which  I  had 
been  for  some  weeks.  It  was  bigger  and  thicker 
and  denser.  Instead  of  thin,  naked  trunks  of  wide- 
apart  trees  were  masses  of  thick  foliage  reaching 
the  ground.  The  tebeldi-trees  were  numerous,  and 
formed  a  particular  feature  of  the  locality.  The 
ground,  too,  was  hilly,  and  the  track  had  expanded 
into  a  broad,  smooth  road  along  which  the  beasts 
travelled  gaily,  scenting  the  river  and  looking  for 
rest. 

So  here  was  once  more  civilization  ;  days  and 
weeks  of  only  Arab  companionship  were  past. 
One  had  visions   of  enormous  baths,  easy-chairs, 


FISHING  ON  THE  BLUE  NILE      133 

and  last,  but  not  least,  a  complete  change  of  diet. 
I  had  travelled  in  a  day  and  three-quarters  what  is 
usually  given  three  days,  and  so  looked  forward  to 
a  rest  in  Roseires  with  friends  I  had  found  there. 

The  position  of  Roseires  is  pretty  indeed  ;  the 
town  is  high  up  on  the  steep  hills  of  the  bank, 
and  looks  over  the  swift -flowing  current  rushing 
between  many  great  rounded  boulders.  The  mere 
movement  of  water  after  still,  sandy  river-bed  and 
quiescent  pools  was  refreshing.  So  an  invitation 
to  fish  was  accepted.  It  involved  the  rowing  of  a 
Noah's  Ark  up  the  stream  for  a  fourth  of  a  mile. 
The  Ark  was  built  up  of  four-inch  thick  planks, 
the  oars  were  the  paddles  of  Brobdingnag,  and  the 
stream  was  the  giddy  Blue  Nile.  We  were  carried 
far  down  ere  we  won  our  transverse  way  and  crawled 
up  in  the  slack  of  the  current.  Then  a  wild  dash 
across  to  an  islet,  and  the  Ark  was  deserted  on  the 
strand. 

I  had  read  of  the  experience  Baker  had  with 
these  "  cow "  fish,  which  run  up  to  70  pounds 
weight  and  give  grand  sport.  Sol  watched  my 
two  friends  as  they  handled  their  heavy  bamboos 
and  live  bait.  Hooks  were  heavy  and  long  in  the 
shank,  arid  soon  a  fish  of  1 2  pounds  weight  came  in. 

One  fisher  had  gone  to  the  opposite  side,  and  I 
was  aroused  by  a  despairing  shout,  "  Come  here, 
Tangye,  and  help ;  sure  I  have  hooked  the  devil  I" 
But  to  call  me  the  line  had  been  slackened,  and  his 
majesty  cunningly  took  up  the  hint,  and  when  I 
arrived   was    away.      More   than   once   afterwards 


134    FROM  BINDER,  AND  NILE  TO  NILE 

gear  was  taken  clean  off  or  hooks  straightened  out, 
showing  the  size  of  the  monsters.  Tiiey  are  ex- 
cellent eating. 

On  the  opposite  bank  lay  the  gunboat,  protect- 
ing this  main  road  from  the  frontier,  which  had  taken 
a  sudden  dip  southward  from  Abu  Ramleh,  and  was 
now  many  miles  up  the  stream. 

Under  an  adjacent  tebeldi-tree  worked  a  native 
blacksmith,  his  goatskin  bellows  blown  by  a  patient 
small  boy.  With  their  crude  tools  these  men  can 
do  very  good  work,  and  some  are  remarkably  clever. 
Not  far  away  some  young  waterbuck  were 
being  tamed  for  transmission  over  the  400  miles  to 
Khartoum  and  to  Cairo.  They  are  herded  with 
calves  of  about  the  same  age,  and  are  gently  induced 
to  submit  to  a  tether,  by  degrees  being  brought  to 
follow  the  calves  and  be  handled. 

News  came  that  only  four  days  remained  for 
me  to  cross  over  to  Renk,  116  miles  to  the  west. 
Being  considered  a  fair  five  days'  journey,  it  was 
obvious  that  one  night's  rest  was  all  that  could  be 
spared  among  the  charming  surroundings  of  the 
Assuan  of  the  Blue  Nile,  as  it  was  laughingly 
styled.  But  little  of  a  health-resort  can  it  claim 
to  be,  and  one  of  those  hosts  who  so  kindly  received 
me  lay  dead  not  long  after  of  blackwater  fever. 

Nor  could  I  accept  a  suggestion  which  was  made, 
that  I  should  shoot  a  rogue  elephant  which  was 
causing  much  damage  to  crops  a  day  down  the 
river.  So  the  evening  saw  the  camels  ferried 
across  ;  all  my  dark  friends  of  the  chase  were  left 


"TO-MORROW,  TO-MORROW!"      135 

behind  to  give  themselves  up  to  the  pleasures  of 
town,  and  the  blackness  of  African  bush  in  the 
night-time  swallowed  up  a  greatly  diminished 
company. 

Trophies  had  been  despatched  to  Khartoum — or 
left  for  despatch,  for  they  arrived  there  months 
later — by  camel  to  Singa,  and  thence  by  native 
boat  to  Khartoum.  It  is  needless  to  say  that 
the  low  state  of  the  river  and  continual  sand-banks 
entered  into  alliance  with  the  one  cry  inevitable  in 
Africa.  From  the  "  Mangw^ana  "  of  Mashonaland 
to  the  "  Bukra "  of  this  country,  "  To-morrow, 
to-morrow,"  it  is  always  the  same  over  the  whole 
length  of  the  continent,  and  one  marvels  at  any- 
thing being  accomplished  at  all. 

Yet  above  all,  in  this  country,  arrangement  and 
planning  are  necessary.  No  one  can  start  on  a 
journey  haphazardly  without  running  considerable 
risk.  In  the  116  miles  lying  before  us,  only  in 
two  places  could  water  be  found,  and  two  stretches 
of  forty-six  or  forty-seven  miles  each  had  to  be 
traversed  without  replenishment  of  water-skins  or 
refreshing  the  camels. 

So  every  available  girba  was  filled  in  the  fresh 
running  stream  of  the  Bahr-el-Azrak.  The  camels 
themselves  took  their  fill,  and  the  long  trek  was 
fairly  begun.  The  full  moon  after  a  while  made 
travelling  easy  by  night,  and  the  camel-men  chanted 
their  weird  songs  in  turn  to  keep  touch  with  each 
other  the  whole  length  of  the  line.  Close  behind 
me  the  first  stanza  began,  tuneless  and  indeter- 


136    FROM  BINDER,  AND  NILE  TO  NILE 

minate  as  the  Arab  song  is,  and  the  last  one  came 
on  from  invisible  distance,  articulate,  tiny,  and  far. 

But  it  was  weirder  still  when  their  singing  ceased, 
and  one  could  only  hear,  and  that  hardly,  the  soft 
pad  of  one's  own  camel  sliding  silently  under  one, 
all  other  footsteps  being  inaudible  even  in  the  still- 
ness of  the  night. 

Yet  the  tense  silence  was  not  quite  unbroken ; 
in  the  most  desolate  places  there  seems  to  be  life. 
Here  and  there  the  crickets  chirped,  and  the  night- 
birds  sometimes  called,  while  the  cry  of  the  foul 
hy£ena,  wandering  like  a  hopeless  evil  spirit,  broke 
upon  our  ears  and  reminded  us  of  other  travellers 
by  night  who  are  neither  seen  nor  heard  till  their 
chosen  moment  comes. 

Here  is  the  home  of  great  loneliness  ;  the  country 
is  foreign  and  strange,  and  the  hour  is  eerie.  Human 
dread  of  dead  silence  and  darkness  is  born  of  the 
imminence  of  the  unknown.  This  is  all  round  one, 
and  in  the  undefined  bushes  at  one's  feet,  or  those 
shadowy  forms  which  seem  to  move  in  the  course 
of  one's  progress,  there  lies  a  weird  spirit  of  threat 
and  of  mystery. 

Approaching  a  tree,  in  the  branches  of  which  a 
few  spots  where  the  blackness  is  thicker  are  dimly 
discerned,  the  very  fury  of  sound  seems  let  loose  ; 
to  all  points  of  the  compass  it  spreads,  yet  diminishes 
quickly,  leaving  the  world  to  its  silence  again.  It 
was  merely  the  guinea-fowl  roosting,  and  escaping 
the  too  near  approach  of  mankind. 

Of  necessity  the  morning  start  was  early,  for  at 


HALT  AT  GEBEL  AGADl  137 

least  thirty-two  miles  had  to  be  covered  to  bring 
us  halfway  between  the  two  sources  of  water- 
supply  by  next  evening.  Gebel  Agadi  provided 
the  first.  It  is  strange  that  these  lonely  heaps  of 
granite,  erupted  pimples  on  the  face  of  an  other- 
wise dead-level  earth,  should  so  often  mark  water. 
Sometimes,  indeed,  the  spring  issues  in  places  on 
the  height  of  the  gebel  itself,  to  the  convenience  of 
leopards  and  baboons  which  haunt  the  rocks. 

But  Gebel  Agadi,  or  the  collection  of  heaps 
known  by  that  name,  is  also  tenanted  by  man — to 
me  a  new  form.  Perched  on  and  amongst  the 
great  boulders  of  the  hill  were  scores  of  their  grass- 
covered  tulds,  or  huts,  much  resembling  those  seen 
in  Rhodesia,  but  minus  the  centre  support  which 
exists  in  the  latter,  and  which  robs  them  of  some  of 
their  spaciousness. 

It  was  raw  man,  savage,  barbarian,  causing  my 
camel-men  to  appear,  as  they  felt,  high  in  the  scale 
of  civilization.  My  Berberi  servants  seemed  on 
nearly  a  plane  with  Europeans,  and  all  scornfully 
called  the  villagers  "  Arabs."  The  negro  in  America 
insults  his  brother  by  calling  him  a  "nigger"  or 
*'  black  man  ";  here  the  same  principle  entered,  for 
all  were  supposed,  more  or  less  incorrectly,  to  be 
Arabs  of  different  degree,  though  strictly,  in  this 
case,  a  probable  aboriginal  ancestry  renders  the 
villagers'  right  to  the  classification  doubtful. 

The  tribe  is  the  Ingassana,  and  possesses  distinct 
characteristics,  being  more  substantial  in  build  and 
darker  in  colour.     The  men  are  faddists  in  hair- 


138    FROM  BINDER,  AND  NILE  TO  NILE 

dressing,  many  styles  being  exhibited.  Some  wear 
it  arranged  in  a  multitude  of  neat,  narrow  plaits 
running  concentrically  round  their  heads,  or  from 
the  crown  downwards  ;  others,  a  protruding  "  friz  " 
on  either  side  of  their  forehead. 

They  did  not  submit  to  the  Government  until 
1903,  and  are  remarkable  for  the  extraordinary 
shape  of  the  swords  or  knives  which  many  of  the 
men  carried,  and  which  are  also  used  by  the  Berta 
tribe,  one  of  which  is  illustrated.  These  appear  to 
be  as  useful  and  as  much  used  for  the  cutting  of 
grass  as  for  warlike  purposes  ;  a  weapon  unusual 

in  Africa  is  a  species 
of  boomerang,  which, 
however,  differs  from 


dl -^ ^  the  Australian,  inas- 
much as  it  does  not 
return  to  the  thrower.  Boomerangs  are  mentioned 
in  the  history  of  Queen  Hatshepset,  of  the  Eigh- 
teenth Dynasty,  who  obtained  them,  with  gum 
and  other  natural  products  of  the  Sudan,  by  an 
expedition  from  the  Red  Sea  coast  to  the  Land 
of  Punt. 

Several  huts  were  in  course  of  erection  by  the 
Ingassana  in  the  police  quarters,  grass  being 
brought  in  for  the  thatching,  which  exhibited  the 
usual  aboriginal  expertness.  It  was  noticeable  that 
the  roofs  were  constructed  on  the  ground,  and 
then  lifted  into  position,  in  place  of  the  framework 
of  the  entire  hut,  roof  and  all,  being  constructed 
first. 


FROM  AGADI  TO  GULE  139 

Forty-six  miles  of  country  lay  between  us  and 
the  next  water,  a  burning  and  thirsty  stretch.  A 
blackamoor  added  himself  to  the  party,  leading  the 
way  with  his  donkey.  It  was  but  recently  that 
this  short  cut  had  been  opened,  the  old  course 
trending  to  Soda  (delightful  name !),  far  to  the 
south,  then  upwards  again  to  Gule,  so  the  native's 
assistance  was  welcome. 

The  men,  knowing  my  strangeness  to  this  country, 
appeared  surprised  at  my  naming  the  direction  in 
which  to  proceed,  and  various  places  and  gebels 
which  came  into  view.  They  knew  not  the  use  of 
compass  and  chart,  and  the  burning-glass  equally 
astonished  them  when  applied  to  a  cigarette. 

The  blackamoor,  too,  was  a  cheerful  soul,  despite 
a  solitary  eye,  and  tender  inquiries  as  to  the  cause 
of  the  raw,  unhealed  wounds  on  his  back  were  once 
again  the  signal  for  contortions  of  amusement.  He 
had  probably  been  too  gay  after  absorbing  a  skinful 
of  merissa,  and  met  with  a  well-deserved  punish- 
ment. 

In  the  driest  of  country  I  was  surprised  to  see 
guinea-fowl,  many  and  many  a  mile  from  water. 
The  natives  seem  to  think  that,  like  the  desert 
jerboa,  they  need  none  ;  but  the  remembrance  of 
the  nightly  procession  of  thousands  of  birds  on  the 
Dinder  discounts  such  a  statement.  It  is  more 
likely  that  they  know  of  some  spot  where  some 
water  remains  which  has  not  caught  the  eye  of 
man  ;  yet  it  would  seem  a  rare  chance  that  over 
hundreds  of  years,  in  districts  where  water  is  more 


140    FROM  BINDER,  AND  NILE  TO  NILE 

precious  than  gold,  even  one  such  spot  should 
escape. 

On  the  route  farther  north,  from  Hillet  Abbas 
over  to  Singa,  in  various  places  were  to  be  seen 
artificial  reservoirs  of  considerable  size,  formed  to 
retain  the  rain-water  for  a  time,  but  they  were  long 
since  dried  up  when  I  saw  them. 

From  nearly  a  hundred  miles  north,  right  down 
south  to  the  banks  of  the  Sobat,  the  country  was 
closed  to  the  visiting  sportsman,  who  becomes  a 
mere  bird  of  passage  ;  for  one-half  of  this  area  was 
reserved  for  the  sporting  purposes  of  members  of 
the  army  of  occupation  and  officials,  and  that  to 
the  south  was  the  much-needed  game  reserve.  So 
not  even  gedad  were  in  danger  from  me,  and  my 
breakfast  was  short  of  its  most  pleasing  feature. 

The  whole  tract  of  country  has  an  infamous 
reputation  for  lions,  who  appear  to  be  bolder  than 
elsewhere  ;  yet  I  had  difficulty  in  prevailing  upon 
the  camel-men  to  make  a  good  fire,  and  each  night 
I  awoke  to  find  it  extinct.  The  men  sleep  by  their 
camels,  and  perhaps  hope  that  camel  would  be 
preferred  to  man — a  belief  I  should  hardly  think 
justified. 

Two  treks  of  twenty-three  miles  each,  with  but 
five  hours'  rest  from  11  p.m.  until  four  in  the  morn- 
ing between,  and  with  slow  baggage  camels,  was  a 
tiring  experience.  My  fine  Abyssinian  mule  had 
long  ago  given  out,  and  was  incapable  of  carrying  a 
load  ;  so  my  seat  had  been  taken  on  the  camel  carry- 
ing my  kit-boxes,  and  weary  indeed  was  the  way. 


A  LION  IN  THE  PATH  141 

Miles  ahead,  amongst  the  low  line  of  bush,  was  a 
small  blue  excrescence,  which  one  saw  for  a  moment 
and  lost  again.  On  we  went,  as  it  seemed,  for 
hours,  the  hill  looking  bigger  and  bigger,  yet  never 
appearing  to  come  nearer.  Every  African  traveller 
knows  the  exasperating  effect  of  approach  to  a  hill 
of  considerable  size,  and  the  false  impression  the 
atmosphere  gives  as  to  its  distance. 

For  the  moment  the  hill  left  our  minds.  The 
blackamoor  suddenly  stopped,  and  I  followed  suit, 
as  he  looked  forward,  as  I  thought,  somewhat 
anxiously,  and  into  the  bush  on  the  right.  Yes, 
there  was  movement,  but  what  ?  "  Zeraf,"  said  the 
Arab  behind  me,  but  he  was  in  error.  It  was  a 
party  of  Arabs  on  camels,  slowly  wending  their 
way  through  the  bush,  as  though  wishful  to  escape 
our  notice.  "  Bad  people,"  said  the  blackamoor, 
probably  because  they  did  not  belong  to  his  village, 
and  came  from  the  hills  to  the  south,  or  because 
they  were  visiting  nomad  Arabs.  So  we  proceeded  ; 
but  right  on  their  tracks,  where  they  probably 
crossed  over  the  path,  came  a  quite  different  sight, 
but  which  equally  claimed  our  attention. 

Quietly  strolling  across  in  the  line  of  the  Arabs 
was  the  first  lion  I  had  actually  seen.  He  seemed 
to  be  following  the  trail  of  the  strangers,  and  only 
appeared  for  an  instant,  about  300  yards  away. 

But,  alas  !  the  stern  rule  of  the  country  forbade. 
"  Officers'  Reserve  "  had  been  genially  forewarned 
in  Khartoum,  and  nothing  short  of  self-defence 
would  have  been  held  to  justify  an  infraction.     So 


142    FROM  BINDER,  AND  NILE  TO  NILE 

the  great  footprints  were  looked  at  with  interest, 
and  the  minds  of  all  were  quickly  recalled  to  the 
heat  and  the  thirst  and  fatigue,  and  the  mocking 
great  gehel  before  us. 

Miles  farther  on  there  appeared  patches  of  grass 
all  cut  short,  and  to  my  ears  came  the  plaintive  cry 
of  a  goat ;  thank  goodness,  at  last  we  were  nearing 
the  goal.  Small  children  ran  shyly  away  with  their 
herds,  or  dodged  behind  bushes  and  grass.  We 
overtook  men  on  the  march,  and  the  gebel  came 
suddenly  nearer.  So  used  had  I  become  to  the 
view  of  the  hill  being  merely  a  vertical  plane,  that 
to  see  its  face  develop  prominences  and  hollows 
seemed  strange  ;  and  when  tlie  hill  was  actually 
near  it  seemed  to  come  rapidly  toward  one,  making 
up  for  its  coyness  at  first. 

That  Gebel  Gule  should  be  seen  from  afar  is  not 
to  be  wondered  at.  It  is  1,050  feet  high,  and  close 
upon  three  miles  long.  In  the  days  of  the  kingdom 
of  Sennaar,  Gule  was  the  chief  town  of  the  province, 
but  now  has  fallen  from  its  high  estate,  and  the 
headquarters  of  the  district  is  Keili,  nearer  the 
Abyssinian  frontier,  across  the  present  fine  of 
which  extended  a  portion  of  the  old  Fung  king- 
dom, a  descendant  of  whose  Kings  gave  his  name 
to  the  village  of  Sheikh  Idris  Wad  Regab. 

The  inhabitants  number  about  a  thousand,  and  are 
either  Hameg  pure  or  with  a  dash  of  the  ancient 
Fung  in  their  veins. 

I  had  brought  the  monthly  wages  to  the  police 
at  both  Agadi  and  Gule,  and  this  proved  a  very 


iiLT-MAKiXG   A  I'  {;i;i!i;i,   .\(;ai)I, 


Al'l'ltO.\(  Hl\(;    CiKHKI,    (;iJ>K. 


To  face  page  142. 


A  WARM  RECEPTION  143 

good  introduction.  The  corporal  in  charge  went 
to  some  trouble  to  obtain  milk  and  eggs  for  me, 
and  the  official  hut  in  the  middle  of  the  compound 
provided  shelter.  But  the  hut  was  of  brick,  and 
gathered  and  held  all  the  heat  it  could  find.  The 
door  certainly  faced  away  from  the  sun ;  the 
window  was  the  merest  apology.  Then,  the  sun 
of  the  great  continent  is  as  clever  as  a  buffalo  :  if 
it  cannot  get  at  one  direct,  it  comes  round  a  corner. 
The  pith  helmet  is  a  sufficient  bulwark  against  the 
heat  from  above,  but  the  sun  gets  over  that  by 
rebounding  his  rays  from  the  ground,  and  thus 
coming  from  under ;  or  he  mixes  them  up  with 
long  grass,  to  bombard  from  sides,  back,  and  fi'ont. 

Here  in  this  hut,  being  unable  to  penetrate  the 
front-door  by  direct  route,  he  aimed  his  shafts  at 
the  naked,  precipitous  cliff  of  the  great  granite  hill, 
which  radiated  them  unceasingly  during  the  day  on 
to  the  camp,  robbing  it,  too,  of  all  benefit  from  the 
less  hot  northern  wind. 

Still,  rest  for  a  spell  we  were  forced  to,  especially 
as  the  camels  struggled  in  full  two  hours  later,  and 
threw  themselves  down  on  the  hot  ground  ex- 
hausted. The  men  disposed  themselves  as  though 
they  had  a  week  to  spare,  and  many  were  the 
grumblings  and  objections  when  I  insisted  that  a 
further  ten  miles  must  be  accomplished  before 
midnight. 

For  the  sake  of  the  animals,  a  start  was  deferred 
until  eight  o'clock — well  after  sunset — and  we 
passed  to  the  north  of  a  vertical   rock  of  great 


144    FROM  BINDER,  AND  NILE  TO  NILE 

height,  apparently  set  up  on  end,  called  the  Marid. 
The  moon  was  not  due ;  the  track  was  quite  new, 
and  could  not  have  been  followed  without  a  guide 
from  the  considerable  village  at  Gule.  These  men 
seem  to  see  in  the  dark  almost  as  well  as  a  cat ; 
at  times  the  new  blackamoor  halted  and  peered 
round  about,  but  I  was  too  tired  to  question.  The 
camels  were  walking  dead  slow,  and  my  back  was 
half  broken,  so  that  when  midnight  and  rest  came 
I  could  scarcely  await  the  make-up  of  the  bed. 
From  the  previous  morning  we  had  come  sixty-five 
miles,  and  the  camels  were  feeling  the  pressure. 

During  the  following  morning  a  zariba  was 
passed,  the  thorn  -  branches  being  particularly 
strongly  arranged  in  proximity  to  an  unfinished 
well.  This  was  evidently  a  Government  under 
taking,  and  marked  the  halfway  between  Gule 
and  Renk.  But  it  was  deserted,  and  on  my  arrival 
at  Renk  I  learned  that  a  fortnight  before  a  lion 
had  actually  jumped  the  zariba,  dared  the  fire,  and 
had  seized  the  poor  well-sinker  and  carried  him  off, 
wounded  and  torn  by  the  thorn.  Inexplicably,  the 
lion  then  dropped  him,  and  the  man  was  taken 
into  hospital,  where  he  recovered. 

All  of  this  country  is  covered  with  the  densest 
species  of  thorn  the  world  knows  how  to  produce. 
The  kittir  bush-thorn  in  itself  is  the  worst  of  its 
kind.  To  penetrate  even  a  short  distance  into  it  is 
to  run  the  greatest  risk  of  being  "  bushed,"  for  it 
is  impossible  to  see  a  yard  or  two  in  front. 

This,  then,  is  a  favourite  hunting-ground  of  lions, 


ARRIVAL  AT  RENK  145 

and  the  whole  neighbourhood  of  Renk  is  renowned 
for  them.  By  chance  I  neither  saw  nor  heard  one, 
and  as  a  matter  of  fact  I  was  glad  that  my  much- 
needed  sleep  was  undisturbed,  though  1  woke  up 
to  find  that  the  tired  camel-men  had  let  the  fires 
down. 

The  track  had  been  cut  as  a  Government  road 
through  the  kittir  bush.  One  could  almost  believe 
that  the  old  Romans  had  recently  arrived,  so  straight 
it  proceeded  over  hill  and  down  dale,  visible  miles 
in  the  distance  ahead — a  rut  in  a  carpet  of  bush. 
Here  the  plain  was  abandoned,  and  the  ground 
was  undulating  ;  the  vegetation  doubtless  felt  the 
influence  of  water,  if  only  in  the  atmosphere. 

The  evening  found  me  within  so  reasonable  a 
distance  of  Renk  that  I  could  easily  have  run  in ; 
but  it  was  preferable  to  sleep  away  from  the  river, 
in  freedom  from  the  mosquitoes  of  the  humming 
river-side.  The  sight  of  a  bootprint  in  the  dust 
impressed  me  almost  as  vividly  as  Friday's  did 
Robinson  Crusoe. 

It  may  appear  strange  to  those  at  home  that  one 
can  smell  water,  but  no  signpost  was  needed  to 
tell  me  the  end  of  my  trek  was  at  hand.  Five 
miles  away  one  breathed  great  gulps  of  the  water- 
freshened  atmosphere  ;  I  revelled  in  it — almost 
bathed  in  it.  Yet  to  the  traveller  fresh  from 
Europe  it  would  have  been  parching.  A  gaiety 
spread  over  the  whole  camelcade ;  the  animals 
quickened  their  pace  and  seemed  glad. 

So  freshened  was  I  that  I   found  walking  the 

10 


146    FROM  BINDER,  AND  NILE  TO  NILE 

easiest  mode  of  progression,  greatly  to  Abid's 
delight,  for  he  expressed  aversion  to  my  arrival 
in  camp  on  a  baggage  camel,  saying  that  only 
"  Greeky  merchants  "  did  that,  and  that  it  was  out 
of  the  question  on  the  score  of  dignity. 

The  kittir  bush  ceased,  and  open  plains  followed  ; 
then  came  the  dried-up  plantations  of  dhurra,  a 
few  tukls,  then  more,  until  quite  a  populous  centre 
appeared.  Farther  on  was  a  long  line  of  regular 
poles  which  brought  Europe  within  speaking  dis- 
tance, and  the  wires  led  me  on  to  the  mamui'ia, 
the  post-office,  and  then  the  White  Nile  I  had  left 
weeks  ago. 

A  swarm  of  donkeys  appeared  on  the  bank, 
followed  by  a  welcome  sight — a  British  soldier, 
a  corporal  of  the  Royal  Engineers,  just  off  on  some 
weeks'  journey  south  to  inspect  a  few  hundred 
miles  of  telegraph-wire. 

The  ten  miles'  walk  in  the  morning  had  been 
refreshing,  though  Abid  expressed  his  opinion  that 
Englishmen  were  unwise  to  walk  so  much,  as  is 
their  habit,  particularly  when  they  could  just  as 
well  ride — a  truly  Oriental  reason.  The  corporal 
required  two  looks  at  the  travel-stained  tramp,  in 
clothes  worn  into  holes  by  camel-riding  and  crawl- 
ing, disfigured  with  soil  and  black  ash,  boots  with 
the  surface  scratched  off  them,  and  a  three  days' 
beard ;  so  it  was  a  matter  of  relief  to  feel  that  one 
was  not  taken  for  a  peripatetic  Greek  merchant, 
and  to  hear  the  words  :  "  You  seem  to  have  had  a 
hard  journey  across." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

MAN    IN   THE    SUDAN 

At  this  point  it  may  be  well  to  glance  at  the 
history  of  some  of  the  tribes  who  now  inhabit 
the  countries  we  enter,  or  what  is  known  of  or 
guessed  at  in  regard  to  it. 

The  student  inevitably  comes  to  the  conclusion 
that  guesswork  greatly  preponderates. 

The  earliest  remains  found,  probably  neolithic, 
long  anterior  to  earliest  Egyptian  history,  are  in 
Egypt  and  Somaliland,  and  a  mummy  now  in  the 
British  Museum,  found  in  Egypt,  on  the  west  bank 
of  the  Nile,  though  light  in  colour  and  fair-haired, 
lies  on  its  side,  with  legs  bent  up  against  its  body, 
and  head  supported,  in  the  identical  position  of 
some  prehistoric  remains  uncovered  at  Harlyn  Bay, 
Cornwall. 

The  main  points  of  theories  naturally  rest,  firstly, 
on  an  assumption  that  the  human  race  originated 
beyond  the  Euphrates,  from  thence  spreading  over 
the  world,  perhaps  in  the  first  instance  in  Africa  in 
the  form  of  pigmies  and  bushmen,  then  Hottentots, 
who  have  in  the  course  of  known  history  been 
driven  farther  and  farther  back  into  forest  or  desert 

147  10—2 


148  MAN  IN  THE  SUDAN 

retreats.  The  negro  now  appears  as  an  existing 
type,  of  more  advanced  physical  features,  but  still 
low  in  the  human  scale,  and  approximating  the  ape 
in  the  comparative  length  of  arms,  early  ossifica- 
tion of  the  cranial  sutures,  and  the  prognathic 
jaw. 

There  are  evidences  of  mixed  negro  and  pigmy 
blood  in  the  Jur  and  Bongo  tribes,  the  negro  pre- 
dominating ;  and  the  pigmy  is  more  evidenced  in 
the  Mombottu. 

The  influx  of  a  light-coloured  Caucasian  race 
pushed  the  negro  onward  also  ;  but,  being  a  stage 
or  two  higher  than  the  pigmy,  he  was  less  inimical 
to  the  new-comers'  influence,  and  in  some  cases 
allowed  them  to  cause  more  or  less  modification 
on  coming  into  contiguity,  rather  than  undergo 
exile  or  extermination,  the  resultant  representing 
the  negroids. 

Dr.  Weule  of  Leipzig  stoutly  contests  the  theory 
that  the  negroes  have  joined  in  the  accepted  move- 
ment from  Asia,  preferring  to  think  them  indigenous 
to  Africa.  Some  support  may  be  lent  this  by  the 
fact  that  the  most  characteristic  negro  types  are 
found  in  regions  remotest  from  Asia  ;  but  to  this 
argument  may  be  opposed  the  obvious  fact  that, 
being  farthest  away,  they  have  been  less  exposed 
to  the  effects  of  later  ages  of  Asiatic  influence. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  en  -passant  that  a  con- 
nection has  been  suggested  between  the  names  of 
the  sons  of  Ham  with  various  districts  of  these 
contiguous    areas.       Cush    is    assigned    to    Cush, 


ELEMENTS  OF  RACE  149 

Ethiopia  ;  Mizraim  to  Musr,  the  native  name  of 
Cairo  (see  Gen.  1.  11,  where  the  place  of  '*  the 
mourning  of  the  Egyptians  "  for  Jacob  is  therefore 
called  "  Abel-Mizraim") ;  Phut  to  Punt;  and  Canaan 
to  the  land  of  the  same  name.  Various  divergencies 
from  this  stock,  of  different  degrees  and  rates  of 
progress,  may  account  for  the  types  of  humanity 
existing  there  to-day,  apart  from  the  Semitic 
element. 

The  main  elements  influencing  the  races  as  we 
now  see  them  include  the  pigmy,  the  negro,  the 
Arab,  and  the  descendants  of  prehistoric  aborigi- 
nals, represented  by  the  opponents  of  the  ancient 
Egyptians,  such  as  the  Nubas  of  Kordofan,  the 
Barabras  of  the  Dongola-Assuan  tract,  and  probably 
others. 

Both  negro  and  Arab  in  the  pure  state  are  non- 
existent, and  both  have  become  differently  modified 
from  the  accepted  standard  type. 

Of  the  origin  and  identity  of  the  Nubas  and 
kindred  peoples  little  can  actually  be  hazarded. 
Generally  admitted  to  be  of  Hamitic  origin,  they 
appear  to  have  an  original  ancestry  neither  Arab 
nor  negroid.  It  has  been  suggested,  on  account 
of  certain  characteristics  of  the  old  Himyaritic 
{himyar,  dusky)  language,  and  the  customs  and 
institutions  of  Yemen  anterior  to  Islam,  that  this 
is  of  African  affinity.  The  reputed  settlement  of 
a  Himyaritic  race  south  of  Assuan  and  elsewhere 
might  seem  to  support  this,  and  Herodotus 
definitely  refers   to   the   co-operation  of  straight- 


150  MAN  IN  THE  SUDAN 

haired  Asiatic  Ethiopians  with  the  curly-headed 
ones  of  Africa,  who  differed  only  in  this  respect 
and  in  that  of  language,  thus  involving  people 
from  both  sides  of  the  Red  Sea.  That  this 
deduction  is  not  unopen  to  doubt  is  evidenced  by 
Mr.  Stuart  Poole's  mention  of  the  description  in 
the  Septuagint  of  the  "  land  of  Gesem  (Goshen)  in 
Arabia "  as  applying  to  an  Egyptian  province  on 
the  Arabian  side  of  Egypt ;  so  that  the  term 
"  Asiatic  Ethiopians  "  might  in  like  manner  apply 
to  the  inhabitants  of  that  part  of  Africa  adjacent 
to  Asia.  Herodotus  speaks  also  of  their  habit  of 
covering  themselves  with  red  earth — a  practice  of 
Kordofan  Nubas  of  to-day,  in  common  with  some 
of  the  negroids.  The  long  bows  of  these  folk  were 
of  palm-wood,  and  their  arrows  were  tipped  with 
stone  "  of  the  sort  on  which  they  engrave  seals," 
probably  the  desert  agate,  still  in  such  everyday 
use  for  the  making  of  beads. 

The  difference  in  colour,  which  dates  from  earliest 
history,  between  the  descendants  of  these  ancient 
inhabitants  of  the  Nile,  the  Nubas  and  Barabras,  is 
great ;  and  the  same  difference  exists  between  the 
more  primitive  species,  the  brown-yellow  bushman 
and  Hottentot  and  the  black  northern  pigmy. 

Sir  H.  H,  Johnston  holds  that  the  Nubas  are 
negroid  ;  but  Gleichen  is  positive  of  the  contrary, 
in  spite  of  their  blackness  of  skin. 

To  possess  a  black  skin  does  not  necessarily  mean 
negro  descent,  though  it  might  be  collateral  with 
it ;  but  its  occurrence  is  arbitrary  in  regard  to  its 


PRIMITIVE  CUSTOMS  151 

obvious  intention — protection  from  the  sun's  heat 
and  hght  rays.  Perhaps  the  most  plausible  sug- 
gestion is  that  damp  heat  produces  a  darker  colour 
than  dry. 

The  Nubas  and  Barabras  retain  their  own  lan- 
guages, which  are  allied,  and  also  speak  Arabic ; 
they  appear  by  no  means  too  sound  as  Mahom- 
medans,  and  I  concluded,  by  observation  and  talk 
with  my  servants,  that  respect  for  Mahomet  was 
only  skin-deep. 

Fungs  and  Hamegs  are  classed  as  negroids  by 
Sir  H.  H.  Johnston,  and  exhibit  certain  primitive 
customs,  such  as  the  use  of  the  boomerang  by 
Ingassana,  phallic  worship  within  the  last  century, 
and  other  uninvestigated  ceremonies,  among  the 
Fungs  ;  while  a  Caucasian  type  is  said  to  have  been 
observed  among  the  Berta.  These  tribes  offer  a 
field  for  study  which  may  throw  light  on  the 
degree  of  a  far-away  relation  with  Asia. 

The  well-known  tendency  of  Sudanese  tribes  to 
migration  or  travel  is  a  difficult  factor  in  coming 
to  any  conclusions,  but  it  may  be  well  to  bear  in 
mind  that  the  country  inhabited  by  these  latter 
peoples  is  on  the  confines  of  the  Land  of  Punt, 
whence  some  authorities  say  the  early  Egyptians 
first  hailed,  before  going  north,  and  is  near  a  trade 
route  to  the  Red  Sea  more  ancient  than  history. 

One  learned  authority  places  the  Land  of  Punt 
across  the  Red  Sea,  while  others  consider  that  both 
sides  were  embraced,  including  Yemen  and  Somali- 
land  ;  and  it  is  legitimately  to  be  argued  that  all 


152  MAN  IN  THE  SUDAN 

these  races  were  originally  akin  to  the  Semites  at  a 
period  anterior  to  their  appearance  in  Africa. 

The  practice  of  smearing  the  body  with  red  earth, 
referred  to  by  Herodotus,  and  also  decoration  with 
chalk,  is  not  confined  to  the  Nubas,  being  general 
among  the  Bantus.  The  Nandi  exactly  follow  the 
example  of  the  Ethiopians  of  Herodotus,  painting 
one  side  of  the  body  white,  the  other  red.  I 
remember  a  Bari,  far  up  the  Mountain  Nile,  evenly 
tinted  all  over  a  rich  dusky  red,  not  an  atom  of 
black  being  visible.  The  Shilluks  follow  a  scheme 
of  facial  adornment  with  chalk  which  has  some 
counterpart  in  Australia,  but  there  used  to  indicate 
mourning. 

Pliny  refers  to  the  red  earth  plaster  in  regard  to 
the  Ipsodorse  and  others,  living  on  the  west  bank 
many  days  south  of  Meroe,  and  speaks  of  a  nation, 
more  distant  still,  who  were  8  cubits  in  height — 
say  7  feet  7  inches — which  is  not  unknown  amongst 
modern  Nuers.  Strabo  speaks  of  the  Heleii,  or 
"  marsh-men,"  in  a  similar  location,  and  these  his- 
torians might  almost  be  writing  of  to-day. 

To  Diodorus,  speaking  of  the  riverain  blacks  in 
the  heart  of  Africa,  is  reserved  one  of  the  most 
exact  accounts,  although  he  omits  reference  to  great 
height.  He  says  they  were  flat-faced  blacks,  with 
curled  hair ;  fierce,  cruel,  wicked,  and  bestial.  Their 
bodies  were  foul,  and  their  nails  long,  like  claws. 
Their  weapons  were  clubs,  spears,  and  hide  shields ; 
their  food,  flesh,  milk  and  cheese,  marsh-fruit  and 
sesamus.    Many  of  their  women  went  naked  ;  their 


ANCIENT  EXPLORATION  153 

dead  were  buried  in  their  houses.  All  these  con- 
stitute features  which  describe  the  Nilotic  negroids 
of  to-day. 

Speaking  of  the  extraordinary  journey  of  the 
Nasamonians,  Herodotus  makes  it  clear  that  these 
ancient  Libyan  adventurers  reached  the  Bahr-el- 
Ghazal  and  its  morasses,  at  that  time  inhabited  by 
pigmies  who  have  now  retreated  to  the  Congo 
forests.  Nero's  centurions  were  the  next  r(icorded 
visitors,  many  hundreds  of  years  later,  and  appar- 
ently reached  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Great  Lakes. 

It  is  fairly  to  be  inferred  that  the  negroid  races 
which  inhabited  Ethiopia  then,  remain  to  this  day, 
and  are  generally  in  identically  the  same  state  of 
uncivilization  that  they  existed  in  at  the  first 
dawning  of  history.  The  first  mention  of  them 
in  our  earliest  records  speaks  of  the  land  as  the 
"  Ta-Nehesu,"  which  has  precisely  the  same  sig- 
nification as  the  name  "  Sudan,"  the  "  country  of 
the  blacks." 

The  enormous  lapse  of  time  which  is  involved  as 
necessary  to  the  development  of  such  distinct  types 
from  a  common  ancestry  is  thus  made  a  little 
appreciable. 

Diodorus  cuts  the  knot  by  stating  that  the 
Ethiopians  were  the  first  people  who  ever  lived, 
so  the  idea  of  a  black  Eve,  which  makes  one 
to  shudder,  must  be  debited  to  this  worthy  Greek ! 

But  among  the  negroids  there  is  also  much 
classification.  Those  of  the  Sudan  are  greatly 
behind  the  tribes  who  have  wandered  southward. 


154  MAN  IN  THE  SUDAN 

and  who  have  won  their  way  onward  as  far  as 
South  Africa,  founding  kingdoms  and  impressing 
their  indivdduahty  wherever  they  went. 

It  would  seem  once  again  a  demonstration  of 
the  survival  of  the  fittest,  for  the  more  virile  and 
intelligent  divisions  would  be  uncontent  to  remain 
in  localities  scarce  fit  for  beasts,  much  less  for  man, 
and  would  leave  them  to  those  who  trusted  to 
inaccessibility  for  safety.  The  marshes  of  Southern 
Ethiopia  provided  this  in  excelsis,  protected  these 
negroids  from  intermixture  with  the  Arab  immi- 
grants, whose  blood  has  so  profoundly  permeated 
many  of  the  races  of  the  north  and  east,  and 
developed  physical  characteristics  which  mark  them 
from  all  other  men. 

Among  the  most  prominent  tribes  of  the  marsh 
class  are  the  Dinkas,  Shilluks,  Nuers,  Buruns, 
Anuaks,  Bari,  Shuli,  and  Jur,  and  as  representatives 
of  races  who  by  their  surroundings  have  been  kept 
in  the  most  primitive  condition — not  necessarily 
the  most  unintelligent  or  unresponsive  to  effort — 
they  are  very  interesting. 

The  natives  of  Australia  are  low  in  the  human 
scale,  and,  apart  from  the  almost  bestial  powers 
which  they  share  with  the  bushman,  they  are 
merely  undevelopable.  No  one  who  has  come 
into  touch  with  a  Dinka  or  Nuer  who  has  had  the 
benefit  of  contact  with  a  higher  civilization,  could 
say  so  of  him.  Farag  EfFendi  Abu  Zet,  now 
resident  near  Singa,  is  an  example ;  a  born  soldier, 
he  is  covered  with  decorations,  was  promoted  on 


INFLUENCE  OF  ENVIRONMENT     155 

the  field  to  his  rank  of  Bimbashi  for  his  extra- 
ordinary bravery,  and,  retired  on  account  of 
wounds,  now  finds  peace  as  profitable  as  war. 
They  are  not  undevelopable,  but  simply  man  in 
the  raw  state,  perhaps  nearly  as  God  created  him 
in  the  first  instance,  and  just  unadvanced.  The 
Nuers  are  likely  to  remain  in  this  condition  until 
circumstances  develop  which  one  cannot  with 
certainty  foresee ;  only  drainage  will  render  it 
possible  to  break  down  the  barriers  which  the 
character  of  their  country  imposes  against  fuller 
communication  with  the  outside  world,  and  though 
the  first  step  in  this  direction  is  being  taken,  it  is 
difficult  to  estimate  what  is  involved. 

Distinct  divergence  is  existing  between  the 
various  divisions  of  Nilotic  negroids.  The  Dinka 
has  impressed  himself  the  most,  and  extends  his 
area,  while  the  Burun  and  Anuak  have  remained 
stationary,  and  the  Bari  retrograded  from  the  once 
prominent  condition  which  was  exerted  so  power- 
fully against  Baker. 

The  most  noticeable  feature  amongst  these 
peoples  is  the  effect  of  environment  and  occupa- 
tion during  ages  which  are  almost  geological  in 
extent.  The  enormous  height  of  Dinkas,  Shilluks, 
and  Nuers,  is  caused  mainly  by  length  of  leg,  a 
provision  of  obvious  utility  in  a  country  which 
cannot  be  traversed  without  wading,  and  where 
the  art  of  transfixing  fish  with  a  spear  whose  shaft 
is  bent  by  a  cord  is  practised  waist-deep  in  the 
crocodile-haunted  river. 


CHAPTER  IX 

TO  THE  LAND  OF  THE  NEGROID 

Even  in  the  Sudan,  with  its  financially  limited 
resources,  conditions  ameliorate  and  progress  is 
made,  and  in  two  years  Renk  had  much  changed 
for  the  better.  A  low,  desolate,  fever-stricken 
patch  of  crude  land,  treeless  and  bare,  with  a 
swampy,  stagnant  kho?'  blocked  with  vegetation 
and  breeding  myriad  mosquitoes,  had  been  so 
altered  that  it  was  scarcely  recognized.  A  landing- 
stage  with  a  broad  approach  dignified  tlie  bank, 
a  grove  of  trees  graced  the  road — such  is  the 
power  of  African  soil,  sun,  and  water ;  and  the 
official  residence,  though  of  that  abomination  in 
hot  countries,  corrugated  iron,  was  smnptuous 
in  comparison  with  its  predecessor.  In  place  of 
the  swampy  khor  was  a  clear  surface  of  water, 
but  in  one  respect  it  retained  its  sinister  character. 
Here  the  native  women  come  down  to  replenish 
their  water-pots  ;  tucking  their  wraps  tightly  round 
them,  they  wade  knee-deep  into  the  stream,  fill 
their  vessels,  and  struggle  back  to  the  bank.  But 
not  always  ;  unperceived,  a  narrow,  long  head  over 
there  has  quietly  risen  and  taken  the  bearings  of 
the  unhappy  woman :  with  directness  achieved  by 

156 


"ALL  ALIVE,  or  157 

long  practice,  exact  aim  is  taken,  and  the  villainous 
body  shoots  invisibly  under  the  water.  A  scream, 
and  the  w^oman  is  gone,  to  be  held  under  vi^ater, 
perhaps  stowed  in  a  hole,  and  devoured  at  leisure. 

On  the  roof  of  a  disused  building  is  the  roughly 
stuffed  hide  of  one  monster  who  had  haunted  the 
khor  to  the  villagers'  terror,  and  who  before  he 
was  shot  had  in  a  short  space  of  time  killed  and 
eaten  three  women. 

The  native  population  has  greatly  increased  in 
this  neighbourhood,  and  representatives  of  various 
tribes  have  made  more  or  less  permanent  residence 
here.  Large  fields  of  dhurra  greet  the  eyes  on 
coming  near  Renk,  and  the  number  of  tukls  was 
testimony  to  the  results  of  sympathetic  government 
in  this  mudiria. 

In  the  khor  might  be  seen  Arab  fishing-boats, 
whose  owners  found  ready  sale  for  their  captures. 
The  abundance  of  fish  in  the  White  Nile  is  always 
a  matter  of  wonder.  Particularly  up  in  the  "  sudd  " 
districts  the  river  surface  is  dotted  with  rings  where 
the  fishes  are  rising,  in  countless  and  unceasing 
numbers. 

One  variety,  the  aigel,  in  particular,  is  perfectly 
eatable  by  Europeans,  and  is  almost  tasty,  attain- 
ing remarkable  size.  The  fish-market  beinor  the 
river-bank,  the  Arabs  are  enabled  to  keep  their 
wares  fresh  by  refraining  from  killing,  and  by 
tethering  them  by  a  rope  through  the  lip  to  the 
boat.  *'  All  alive,  O  !"  on  the  Nile  is  a  cry  with 
foundation  in  fact. 


158     TO  THE  LAND  OF  THE  NEGROID 

We  here  come  into  touch  with  the  great  negroid 
races.  The  Dinkas  are  particularly  in  evidence, 
this  being  approximately  the  northern  boundary  of 
their  country.  They  belong  to  a  group  of  tribes 
possessing  many  characteristics  in  common,  appar- 
ently evolved  through  the  peculiarities  of  the 
country  which  is  to  them  home.  Just  as  Nature 
steps  in  to  provide  the  mud-fish  of  the  Dinder  with 
lungs  on  retreat  of  the  water,  so  she  approximates 
man  to  the  style  of  the  stork  in  the  regions  of  the 
marsh.  The  Nilotic  negroids,  such  as  the  Dinkas, 
Shilluks,  Nuers,  Baris,  and  Buruns,  though  show- 
ing minor  variations,  exhibit  a  common  type,  which 
is  more  traceable  in  relation  to  Dinkas  and  Nuers 
than  others.  The  Dinkas  appear  to  possess  the 
more  diplomatic  character,  though  their  abiUty  in 
warfare  is  less,  and  their  habitat  has  extended 
enormously  over  great  areas.  Their  country  ranges 
from  the  north  of  Renk  up  the  east  bank  to  near 
the  country  facing  Fashoda,  where  some  Shilluks 
join  in.  On  the  west  bank  the  main  body  of  the 
Shilluk  nation  extends  to  the  great  bend  of  the 
Nile,  where  the  Sobat  and  Bahr-el-Ghazal  combme 
with  the  main  stream. 

Then  south,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Mountain 
Nile  this  time,  the  Dinkas  once  more  appear,  now 
being  faced  by  the  Nuers,  who  spread  to  the  east 
far  beyond  the  Bahr-el-Zeraf,  and  are  hemmed  in 
by  the  Twi  Dinkas  on  the  south.  But  in  the  Khor 
Filus,  opening  into  the  Sobat,  is  a  section  of  Dinkas 
of  whom  more  anon. 


THE  HUMAN  STORK  159 

Intense  blackness  of  skin  is  a  much-pronounced 
feature.  In  the  Dinka  it  is  perfectly  wonderful ; 
no  grease-paint  compares  with  its  marvellous  tone ! 
The  impression  given  is  that  they  are  immensely 
tall,  but  this  is  partially  aided  by  their  slimness  of 
build  and  the  comparative  length  and  slightness  of 
their  limbs. 

An  average  taken  by  the  late  Dr.  Pirrie  gives 
a  height  of  5  feet  11  inches,  and  a  maximum 
measurement  of  about  6  feet  3  inches.  I  took  no 
measurement  here,  but  that  of  the  chief  of  a  band 
appeared  to  be  much  in  excess  of  this  figure. 

Marsh  and  river  dwellers,  who  subsist  much  on 
fish,  they  partake  of  the  same  dispensation  which 
has  given  the  stork  his  long  legs,  and  common  to 
both  is  the  habit  of  resting  on  one  leg. 

No  more  remarkable  sight  exists  than  that  of 
a  number  of  naked  young  men,  with  the  sole  of 
one  foot  placed  at  the  side  of  the  neighbouring 
knee  while  they  balance  themselves  with  the  aid  of 
a  down-pointed  spear,  the  tip  of  which  is  protected 
by  a  piece  of  soft  ambatch-wood.  This  attitude  is 
reported  by  Dr.  Seligmann  to  have  its  counterpart 
among  the  Toro  tribe  of  New  Guinea. 

A  notable  was  due  to  call  at  Renk  on  his  way 
up-river,  and  a  native  dance  was  arranged  for  his 
edification.  He  was  unable  to  stay,  and,  rather  than 
give  disappointment,  his  place  was  taken  by  me. 

It  was  a  motley  assembly,  consisting  of  Arabs, 
some  runaway  slaves — respectable  old  gentlemen 
with  the  tarbush   (or  fez),  and  white  cotton  shirt 


160     TO  THE  LAND  OF  THE  NEGROID 

worn  outside  the  white  drawers — then  a  band  of 
ShiUuks,  and  another  of  half-naked  Dinkas,  the 
chief  of  whom  was  dressed  in  resplendent  attire, 
and,  to  the  best  of  my  judgment,  came  near  7  feet 
in  height. 

The  Shilluks  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  river 
possessed  the  same  habits,  and  their  hair-dressing 
was  as  remarkable  as  their  appearance  in  general. 
With  a  view  to  warding  off  the  attacks  of  mos- 
quitoes, they  cover  themselves  from  head  to  foot 
with  wood  or  cowdung  ash,  fortified,  I  believe,  with 
cow's  urine,  taking  care  to  attend  to  their  faces. 
The  effect  is  most  ghastly,  for  only  their  lips  and  a 
space  round  the  eyes  are  free  from  the  ash,  which 
gives  an  appearance  of  decay  to  the  skin. 

This  practice  extends  amongst  many  of  these 
tribes,  and  was  in  particular  use  with  the  Nuers. 
In  both  cases,  wood  not  being  always  available, 
dried  cowdung  is  used  in  its  place,  the  heaps  of 
burnt  ash  coming  in  handy  as  mattresses  for  the 
night's  rest. 

Their  dance  was  a  study  in  savage  hostility, 
a  contrast  indeed  to  present-day  warfare.  They 
transported  me  back  to  the  Iron  Age,  which  in- 
deed is  their  stage  of  development.  Forward  they 
came  at  full  speed,  bending  low  with  their  spears 
in  queer,  spider-like  rushes,  here  and  there  crouch- 
ing to  ground,  retreating,  and  coming  on  fiercely 
again.  Their  delight  was  extreme,  and  so  was  the 
dust  they  created. 

The  Arab  dance  differed  entirely.     Rather  than 


thp:  ash-(oveukd  xegkoid  at  kexk. 


THE    "■croc;"    that    got    into    TKOIBLE. 


To  face  page  100. 


DINKA  LAWS  161 

warlike  in  character,  it  was  quite  unsensational. 
Four  men  and  four  women  advanced  toward  me, 
retired  backwards  and  came  forward  once  more, 
keeping  time  with  short  steps  and  a  hopping  shuffle, 
and  a  bend  of  both  body  and  knees.  Eventually  the 
men  approached  closely,  then  the  women  supplanted 
them,  two  kneeling  before  me,  two  standing,  all 
chanting  and  casting  weird  glances  until  a  shilling 
was  placed  on  their  foreheads.  In  the  meantime 
the  respectable  old  gentlemen  with  the  tarbushes 
and  serious  faces  became  comic  in  their  intenseness 
and  vigour. 

I  learn  that  the  laws  of  the  Dinka  are  of  a  most 
intricate  nature,  drawn  up  in  a  well-defined  code, 
and  dependent  on  sequence  of  reasoning.  Many 
provisions  have  resemblance  to  laws  detailed  in  the 
earliest  books  of  the  Bible,  and  comparison  with 
the  Babylonian  records  of  Hammurabi — the  Am- 
raphel  of  Genesis — might  bear  interesting  fruit. 

When  it  is  realized  that  the  method  of  govern- 
ment, to  every  possible  extent  consistent  with 
British  ideas  of  humanity,  is  to  apply  native  law, 
the  tax  on  the  powers  of  a  conscientious  Inspector 
can  well  be  imagined,  and  the  difficulty  in  this 
unhealthy  country  is  to  avoid  frequent  changes, 
with  consequent  loss  of  efficiency. 

One  speculates,  when  primitive  man  is  before 
one,  as  to  whether  the  early  man  of  Genesis 
exhibited  such  characteristics  as  these — whether 
Adam,  Cain,  and  Abel,  rolled  themselves  in  objec- 
tionable matters  and  wood-ash  to  keep  off  mos- 

11 


162   TO  THE  LAND  OF  THE  NEGROID 

quitoes,  and  dressed  their  hair  in  clay,  cowries,  and 
cowdung. 

One  is  accustomed  from  babyhood  upward  to 
consider  Adam  and  Eve  as  somewhat  refined  per- 
sonaUties,  with  white  skins  and  good  looks,  albeit, 
through  sheer  force  of  circumstances,  objectionably 
careless  of  clothing.  But  what  foundation  have  we 
for  such  charming  ideals  ?  As  creations,  in  mind 
they  were  certainly  crude  ;  as  mere  products  of 
Darwinian  evolution,  they  would  be  but  a  single 
advance  beyond  brutes.  The  Dinka  is  distinctly 
ahead  of  his  parents  in  Eden,  for  while  they 
yielded  to  instinct,  just  as  savages  might,  they 
had  none  but  the  simplest  codes  to  follow — simple 
through  mere  paucity  of  population  ;  but  the  Dinka 
has  many  more  temptations,  has  propounded  elabo- 
rate laws,  and  on  the  whole  fairly  abides  by  them, 
such  as  they  are  !  He  is  no  more  naked  than  were 
Adam  and  Eve  in  the  Garden,  and,  where  the  Tree 
of  Knowledge  grows  by  the  civilized  river-side, 
follows  their  later  example.  So  we  see  our  first 
parents  as  poor,  untutored  barbarians,  quite  unable 
to  appreciate  their  manifold  advantages,  and  as  a 
disheartening  failure  1 

The  name  Adam  is  still  so  widespread  among 
the  Arab  tribes  that  it  may  seem  a  surprise  that 
the  name  of  his  wife  is  not  heard  as  we  know  it  in 
Europe.  But  Adam,  of  course,  was  barbarian,  and 
he  and  his  sons  would  consider  mere  woman  un- 
worthy a  thought,  much  less  worth  naming  in 
history.    So  the  deficiency  must  have  been  rectified 


AN  UNREASONABLE  REQUEST !  163 

by  some  grateful  descendant,  but  where  he  got  the 
name  Eve  from  we  may  puzzle  to  know.  It  sounds 
so  nice  and  so  very  poetic,  and  one  thinks  how 
sweet  and  affectionate  and  savoury  and  clean  she 
would  be ;  but  her  prototypes  among  the  Dinkas, 
and  their  manners  and  customs,  do  not  bear  this 
out,  and  my  thoughts  turn  to  the  black  thing  in 
front  of  me,  sitting  in  dust,  lean,  ugly,  regardless 
of  parasites,  and  making  butter  too  dreadful  to 
think  of. 

My  Arabs  had  stared  at  me  in  amazement  when 
they  were  asked  for  the  "  camera,"  not  understand- 
ing the  word,  and  I  had  to  fall  back  on  the  Arabic 
equivalent  for  "black  box,"  inasmuch  as  I  found 
they  had  mistaken  my  request,  and  deemed  I  re- 
quired them  to  bring  me  the  moon  {kamar),  and 
thought  me  unreasonable  !  But  at  Mellut,  where 
the  Nas7'  called  for  a  short  time,  the  Arab  colony 
exhibited  an  ancient  acquaintance  with  the  camera, 
no  doubt  through  the  agency  of  enterprising  tourists 
who  seek  refreshment  of  mind  in  the  journey  through 
swamps  and  the  land  of  ferocious  seroot  flies. 

A  few  score  of  miles  up  the  river  the  men  would 
have  stood  on  the  bank  shaking  their  hands  up  and 
down,  and  bending  their  knees  in  synchrony,  to 
keep  off  the  *'  evil  eye "  of  the  boat  from  their 
dhurra  and  herds.  But  here  it  is  Eve  who  evinces 
the  same  superstition  ;  the  thought  of  the  eye  of 
the  serpent  assailing  her,  she  scurries  affrighted  to 
the  gloom  of  her  hut  when  she  sees  the  black 
magical  box  pointed  at  her. 

11—2 


164    TO  THE  LAND  OF  THE  NEGROID 

The  small  girls  bring  one  nearer  to  home.  They 
are  just  as  inquisitive,  just  as  shy  and  half  frightened 
at  anything  strange,  as  the  wee  lassies  of  England. 
After  gentle  persuasion  they  peep  through  the 
camera  "  finder,"  spy  their  sisters,  shriek  with  half- 
scared  delight  as  they  rush  headlong  away  from 
the  incomprehensible  thing — only  just  for  a  short 
distance — and  then  come  back  again. 

The  steamers  are  fired  by  wood  cut  from  the 
bush  which  fringes  the  river,  and  the  increasing 
demand  is  causing  the  gradual  denudation  of  the 
banks  by  the  small  colonies  of  Arabs  that  are 
maintained  at  the  many  "  wood-stations "  formed 
for  this  purpose.  An  impertinent  stranger  might 
hazard  the  opinion  that  one  of  the  first  duties  of 
the  Woods  and  Forests  Department  might  well  be 
the  replanting  of  the  large  areas  which  have  been 
despoiled  of  their  timber,  only  too  often  in  the 
wasteful  native  fashion,  which  cuts  the  trunks  high 
up,  leaving  the  stump  unused  to  decay  and  rot. 
Coal  in  briquette  form  is  brought  up  and  used  to  a 
small  extent,  but  even  with  the  opening  of  the  Port 
Sudan  railway  to  the  Red  Sea  the  cost  is  practically 
prohibitive. 

The  main  enemy  of  fine  timber  in  this  country  is 
fire ;  the  tortured  twists  of  the  straggly  trunks  bear 
witness  to  the  fierceness  of  the  flames  which  lick 
up  the  grass  around  them.  Small  chance  is  there 
for  seedlings,  and  doomed  is  the  tree  whose  bark 
gets  once  burned  through.  Here  are  tree-stumps 
smouldering,  days  after  the  swift  rush  of  the  con- 


AN    AllAB    UILUKA. 


NATIVE    CANOKS    CAUUYINC;    DHURRA. 


To  face  page  164. 


THE  PLAGUE  OF  FIRE  165 

flagration  ;  there  on  that  black,  burnt  ground  is 
the  delicate  tracery  in  white  ash,  undisturbed  by 
the  breeze,  of  every  twig  of  the  skeleton  of  a  tree, 
fallen  victim. 

Little  puffs  of  smoke  fitfully  shoot  up,  and  the 
predatory  birds  swing  by.  Sometimes  the  ver- 
milion flames  will  run  a  race  fifty  miles  up  the 
bank  with  the  persistent  north  wind.  Days  after 
the  sweet  green  shoots  appear,  and  the  buck  come 
round  to  feed. 

Methods  of  combating  the  ravages  of  this  scourge 
are  the  study  of  the  Woods  and  Forests  Depart- 
ment, and  blocks  of  country  are  reserved  wherein 
no  man  may  shoot,  while  patches  in  strategical 
positions  are  cleared.  In  the  Sennaar  province  this 
seems  to  have  met  with  a  great  degree  of  success, 
9,552  acres  having  suffered  in  1908,  as  against 
65,000  in  the  previous  year,  though  perhaps  the 
Department  would  not  claim  credit  for  the  whole 
of  the  difference. 

After  the  effects  of  fire,  the  destructive  pranks  of 
elephants  have  most  to  be  reckoned  with,  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  wooded  banks  of  the  river  in 
elephant  country  had  suffered  from  their  attentions. 
Here,  there,  and  everywhere  were  hundreds  of  the 
slender  trees  broken  and  bent  to  the  ground,  where 
the  leaf-eating  monsters  could  more  easily  feed. 
At  intervals  were  trees  uprooted  whole,  a  fragment 
of  broken  tusk  occasionally  lying  by  as  evidence  of 
a  penalty  paid. 

Being  sarcastic  by  nature,  the  elephant  refuses 


166   TO  THE  LAND  OF  THE  NEGROID 

to  recognize  any  suggestion  that  he  should  be  able 
to  discriminate  between  trees  and  iron  telegraph- 
poles,  which  suffer  accordingly ;  and  in  the  rains 
he  has  a  peculiar  aptitude  for  utilizing  the  line  of 
the  wire  as  a  footpath,  leaving  tracks  2  feet  deep, 
which,  when  masked  by  vegetation,  are  discovered 
later  on  by  the  unfortunate  white  man,  to  the 
detriment  of  his  shins  and  the  hindrance  of  his 
progress. 

Though,  generally  speaking,  the  timber  is  poor, 
it  grows  to  considerable  dimensions  in  some  locali- 
ties. The  hard  "  sunt,"  when  large  enough,  makes 
a  decent  substitute  for  mahogany. 

Apart  from  the  use  its  bark  is  put  to  for  making 
rope,  the  tebeldi  has  an  important  function  in 
Kordofan,  and  may  constitute  a  valuable  asset  to 
its  owner.  Being  generally  hollow,  it  acts  as  a 
natural  storage  reservoir  for  rain-water,  which  is 
used  for  drinking  purposes,  and  keeps  perfectly  good 
for  a  considerable  time. 

Rubber  is  being  experimented  with  in  various 
latitudes,  and  there  is  reason  to  hope  for  considerable 
development  in  its  cultivation. 

The  samr  and  marakh,  whose  shoots  are  beloved 
of  camels,  are  used  by  the  natives  in  the  making  of 
fire  by  friction  ;  while  the  kittir,  abominated  of  man- 
kind owing  to  its  thorny  denseness,  partly  redeems 
itself  by  also  providing  bark  as  material  for  rope. 

The  great  deleb  palm,  scooped  out,  forms  the 
canoe  of  the  Nuer ;  the  pith-light  ambatch,  the 
buoyant  raft  so  easily  carried  on  his  back.     Many 


A  DTNKA  HIPPO  HUNT  167 

of  these  are  seen  on  the  way  up  the  river.  Natives 
hurriedly  scurry  across  on  their  ambatch  as  they 
see  the  steamer  approaching,  half  immersed  in  the 
water,  and  daring  the  hippos  and  crocodiles. 

Not  far  in  the  distance  excitement  was  shown  by 
a  party  of  Dinkas  on  shore,  who  watched  a  canoe 
whose  movements  were  erratic  and  jerky,  apparently 
governed  by  some  outside  influence.  Approach 
rendered  visible  three  cylinders  of  wood  at  con- 
siderable intervals,  but  possessed  of  common  in- 
spiration in  movement.  At  one  moment  they 
dashed  like  surface  torpedoes  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
up  the  river,  with  the  native  canoe  hard  after  them. 

Changing  their  course,  they  rushed  down  and 
across,  and  then  up  again,  churning  the  waters. 
Many  a  time  the  paddlers  darted  their  frail  structure 
aside,  till  at  last  the  black  head  of  a  hippo  appeared, 
gradually  exhausting  his  gi-eat  life  away. 

The  hunters  did  not  welcome  the  idea  of  a  white 
man  accompanying  them  in  their  boat  on  this 
exciting  quest ;  every  thought  was  required  to 
dodge  the  infuriated  beast,  who,  attached  by  har- 
poon to  the  rope,  was  dragging  the  dead  bulk  of 
the  long  line  of  floats  with  such  wonderful  power 
and  speed  under  water.  But  they  welcomed  the 
bundukiya,  or  rifle,  which  would  transform  the 
work  of  another  twenty-four  hours  into  a  matter 
of  minutes,  and  great  were  the  shouts  of  approval. 

The  courage  these  men  show  is  extreme.  Far 
away  down  the  stream  at  the  tail  of  a  mid-river 
inlet,  where  the  water  is  slack  and  the  depth  is  but 


168   TO  THE  LAND  OF  THE  NEGROID 

slight,  they  see  the  rounded  forms  of  a  dozen  dark 
giants.  These  He  half  covered  with  water  on  the 
soft  sand  of  the  river-bed,  basking  and  sleepy  in  the 
heat  of  the  day,  never  dreaming  of  peril.  Strange 
that  these  great  pachyderms,  links  with  the  bizarre 
monsters  of  the  past,  who  need  fear  no  other  four- 
footed  creature,  should  be  prey  to  the  puny  human 
in  one  of  his  lowest  forms. 

Silently,  slowly,  three  men  in  a  boat  float  down 
on  the  herd,  one  in  the  bow  poising  the  harpoon, 
one  amidships,  and  another  at  the  stern,  with 
paddles  held  tight  and  muscles  tense  with  the 
imperative  call  to  act  suddenly,  strongly,  and 
swiftly.  A  pink  baby  beast  lies  half  submerged 
on  his  mother's  broad  back,  and  a  big  bull  is 
beyond. 

The  current-borne  object  floats  by  the  big  bull : 
a  sudden  bend  of  the  body,  shooting  forward  the 
arms,  and  the  black  statue  becomes  instinct  with 
muscular  life.  But  the  waters  are  raging.  At  the 
instant  of  thrust,  back  darts  the  canoe,  and  its 
occupants  row  for  dear  life,  for  the  outraged  quarry 
has  no  hesitation  when,  recovered  from  shock,  he 
discovers  his  enemy.  Not  always  is  a  retreat 
effected,  and  the  huge  jaws  crash  through  the 
canoe,  when  woe  to  the  man  who  is  trapped.  Many 
hours  may  elapse  before  the  tail  of  the  rope  is 
brought  on  to  the  bank,  and,  wearied  to  weakness, 
struggling  vainly,  the  hippo  is  drawn  within  reach 
of  the  spears,  which  soon  put  an  end  to  his  trials. 
Up  here  they  have  to  be  dealt  with  as  vermin,  the 


THE  VICIOUS  SEROO T  169 

damage  they  do  is  so  great  in  the  native  plantations 
of  dhurra. 

After  all,  civilization  and  invention  have  achieved 
something  ;  the  bullet  is  quicker  in  action  than  the 
primitive  spear. 

It  is  almost  incredible  that  as  late  as  1831  a 
geographer  should  calmly  describe  the  hippopotamus 
as  being  well  known  to  have  cloven  hoofs,  the  tail 
and  mane  of  a  horse,  and  in  size  to  be  equal  to  a 
large  ox.  Yet  this  is  the  description  which  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Russell  endorses,  having  taken  his  inspira- 
tion from  Herodotus  rather  than  from  fact ! 

The  seroot  flies  had  not  been  so  numerous  for 
some  reason.  No  one  who  has  not  undergone  their 
attentions  can  properly  appreciate  their  effect  on 
the  nervous  system.  A  penetrating  buzz,  intensely 
intent,  springs  into  a  rushing  existence  of  a  million 
miles  an  hour.  Sight  does  not  easily  follow  it ;  the 
sound  ceases  for  a  fraction  of  a  second,  unlocated ; 
then  a  red-hot  needle  is  plunged  into  parts  of  one's 
anatomy  which  were  thought  amply  guarded.  Clothes 
appear  to  be  as  protective  against  X  rays  as  against 
the  powers  of  this  vicious  busybody.  So  the  next 
time  the  warning  note  is  heard,  a  dash  for  the  "meat- 
safe  "  is  made,  fi^om  the  inside  of  which  disappointed 
insects  can  be  seen  glueing  their  heads  against  the 
mesh  of  the  wires.  They  have  one  redeeming 
feature,  inasmuch  as  it  has  not  yet  been  demon- 
strated that,  as  do  the  tsetse,  they  harbour  microbes 
inimical  to  man. 

But  to  be  regarded  as  meat  by  anything  is  ob- 


170   TO  THE  LAND  OF  THE  NEGROID 

jectionable,  and  inspires  a  certain  resentment.  I 
remember  positively  hating  a  vulture  when  I 
wakened  one  day,  to  find  it  soaring  over  me  with 
mistaken  impressions.  And  only  an  iimate  courtesy 
once  prevented  my  expression  of  a  sense  of  bad 
taste,  when  a  most  hospitable  old  cannibal  Nyam- 
nyam  lady,  after  cutting  the  throat  of  a  fowl  at  her 
hut  door  as  I  entered,  remarked  on  the  satisfactory 
appearance  of  my  figure  as  compared  with  that  of 
my  spare-built  companion.  It  was  flattering,  but 
carnivorous  ;  moreover,  1  felt  that  no  advantage 
lay  in  transmutation. 

From  Renk,  which  is  300  miles  south  of  Khar- 
toum, we  plodded  patiently  up  the  White  Nile 
toward  the  country  of  swamp  and  of  negroid. 
Many  lazy  hours  passed  by  until  a  slight  rise  in  the 
bank  appeared  on  the  eastern  side  in  the  distance, 
with  a  grass-covered  islet  or  two.  The  forest  had  re- 
treated far  back  from  the  river,  and  was  scarcely  to 
be  seen.  Merely  flats  of  dried  swamp  just  occa- 
sionally rose  above  level,  but  stretched  beyond 
vision.  The  prospect  was  not  fair,  and  its  loneliness 
forced  itself  on  one.  Far  down  the  west  bank  a 
tiny  protuberance  rose  as  the  steamer  forced  onward 
at  its  sure,  sluggish  pace.  The  beat  of  its  paddles 
astern,  carried  over  the  water  in  regular  cadence, 
warned  the  crocodiles  at  the  edge  of  the  stream, 
and  sent  small  clouds  of  brown  teal  whistling 
onward.  The  "  Father  of  Teeth  "  strolled  about 
pensively,  head  cast  down,  deep  in  thought,  and 
with  long,  grave,  deliberate  steps  ;  his  hands  were 


AN  EVENING  PROCESSION         171 

seemingly  under  the  tails  of  his  coat,  yet  he  was 
only  a  marabout  stork  seeking  food. 

Cattle  appeared  at  intervals,  grazing  ;  black  dots 
grew  out  on  the  wastes,  showing  man  ;  the  pro- 
tuberance took  shape  in  the  shimmering  sunlight, 
and  became  a  brick  house  with  a  cane  fence  around. 
Irregular  buildings  around  it,  a  few  heat-stricken 
trees  on  the  bank,  with  some  vegetation  beneath, 
the  Governor's  house  stood  high  in  a  land  where  a 
molehill  would  count  as  an  eminence.  Still  well 
in  mid-stream — for  the  river  is  wide  at  this  point — 
we  made  for  a  spot  where  some  nuggars  were 
gathered  on  the  outer  side  of  the  western  of  the 
two  islands.  Dropping  the  sandals,  or  barges,  on 
which  were  some  Sudanese  soldiers  bound  for  the 
south,  we  made  fast. 

Even  Fashoda  develops.  The  long  line  of  the 
settlement  crowning  the  bank  some  hundreds  of 
yards  away  had  been  joined  to  the  island  by  a 
causeway,  where  once  a  steel  boat  dug  its  way  over 
the  shallowing  khor.  A  tramline  brought  truck- 
loads  of  freight,  pushed  by  a  varied  assortment  of 
blacks.  Long  lines  of  swathed  women  marched 
down  to  the  stream  with  their  earthenware  pots, 
for  the  water  is  bad  in  the  stagnant  khor.  Women 
they  were  of  all  sizes,  and  ranging  in  tint  from  jet 
to  the  colour  of  coffee.  Wee  lassies  brought  gourds 
or  small  pots,  and  gravely  mimicked  the  work  of 
their  mothers,  wrapping  their  scanty  garments  tight 
round  their  thighs  as  they  stepped  knee-deep  in  the 
stream.     Their   little   backs   straightened   as  they 


172    TO  THE  LAND  OF  THE  NEGROID 

strolled  proudly  away,  holding  the  pots  on  their 
heads,  gaining  erectness  of  carriage,  and  commencing 
the  hard  share  of  work  which  falls  to  African 
women.  In  INIashonaland,  spilling  of  the  load  is 
reduced  to  a  minimum  by  the  floating  of  leaves  on 
the  surface  ;  here  there  were  no  leaves  to  float. 
On  the  opposite  shore,  at  the  foot  of  the  grass  of 
the  eastern  island,  the  crocodiles  watched. 

A  circle  of  women  sat  by  with  their  wares, 
forming  a  miniature  market,  welcome  to  soldiers 
and  sailors  ;  while  an  infantile  Adam,  naked  as 
when  he  was  born,  stood  on  the  bank,  as  our  boys 
do  at  home,  with  a  stick  and  some  twine  and — who 
knows  ? — a  bent  pin,  earnestly  fishing.  Surely  this 
was  a  king  amongst  black  men  who  strode  slowly 
along  and  lazily  looked  at  the  boat  with  an  air  of 
detachment  from  all  his  surroundings  !  Long,  spare- 
limbed,  and  lanky,  a  cloth  knotted  over  one  shoulder, 
he  carried  a  spear.  His  hair  was  felted  into  a  flat, 
fan-like  creation  at  the  back  of  his  head,  while  in 
front  it  was  short-cropped  and  reddened.  A  neat 
row  of  cowrie-shells  bordered  the  forehead,  while 
the  whole  was  surmounted  by  three  ostrich  feathers, 
the  middle  one  white.  A  broad  band  of  white 
followed  the  line  of  the  jaw  from  the  ear,  the  top 
of  which  was  adorned  by  a  circular  disc  of  sardine- 
tin,  and  a  large  ivory  bangle  was  worn  on  the  arm. 
All  round  about  him  was  labour,  but  no  notice 
took  he.  The  world  might  be  wrecked,  but  so  long 
as  his  district  remained,  what  mattered  it  him  ? 
A  picture  was  brought  to  my  mind  of  a  start  from 


AN  INSOUCIANT  SAVAGE  173 

Tewfikieh,  when  my  steamer  was  fighting  against  a 
nortli  wind.  She  was  blown  hither  and  thither, 
not  succeeding  in  facing  the  gale  ;  for  the  draught 
of  these  vessels  is  small,  and  the  freeboard  and  top- 
hamper  great.  Time  after  time  she  cannoned  the 
shore,  burying  her  nose  in  the  rush-covered  bank. 
The  sturdy  bahari  tumbled  ashore  with  their  rope 
at  the  stern,  and  struggled  in  vain.  '  Boreas  v. 
Bahari '  was  the  name  of  this  great  tug-of-war, 
which  was  evenly  matched.  Lackadaisy,  close  by, 
were  half  a  dozen  blacks  looking  on  as  one  might 
at  a  sheep  trying  to  nibble  a  tussock  of  grass 
beyond  reach.  Lend  a  hand  ?  Not  a  bit  of  it ! 
The  sailors  might  pull  themselves  stiff  before  the 
noble  savages  would  interfere,  and  a  British  car- 
penter would  as  soon  think  of  assisting  a  plumber ! 
Beyond  building  a  hut  and  tending  their  cattle  or 
fishing,  work  does  not  lie  in  their  scheme  of  exist- 
ence, and  so  long  as  they  remain  as  they  are,  an 
absolutely  primitive  people,  with  small  imagination 
and  less  in  the  way  of  ideals,  there  is  no  impulse  to 
tell  them  why  it  should.  Their  conditions,  too, 
before  British  protection  came  on  the  scene,  as 
elsewhere  in  barbarian  Africa,  have  been  hostile  to 
work,  save  the  tending  of  cattle  and  fishing.  Stern 
logic  of  facts  has  caused  them  to  hold  themselves 
ready  for  war,  to  protect  their  property  and  lands 
or  to  raid  in  their  turn,  to  absent  themselves  from 
their  villages  while  their  women-folk,  always  at 
home,  did  the  work. 

It  was  thus  easy  for  them,  so  long  as  pressure  of 


174   TO  THE  LAND  OF  THE  NEGROID 

circumstances  was  absent,  to  fall  in  with  the  plan 
of  non-interference  with  the  more  regular  labour ; 
and,  now  that  their  energies  are  not  required  for 
warlike  purposes,  it  is  necessary  to  divert  them  into 
directions  which  will  ultimately  lead  to  the  creation 
of  necessities  hitherto  undreamt  of,  and  conse- 
quently the  obligation  to  work,  and  thus  take  a 
useful  part  in  the  world. 

This  is  the  basis  of  education  here,  and  the 
spectacle  of  a  hundred  or  so  Shilluks  engaged  in 
levelling  disused  embankments  was  evidence  of  a 
beginning,  in  whatever  light  they  themselves  may 
have  regarded  it. 

It  is  extraordinary  what  progress  has  been  made 
in  winning  these  people's  confidence  and  in  gaining 
more  control ;  it  must  have  been  difficult  to  make 
them  believe  that  conditions  had  changed,  and  that 
they  were  no  longer  subject  to  slave  raids  and 
extortion.  Their  numbers,  as  seen  on  the  banks 
up  the  river,  have  increased  enormously  ;  from  not 
far  above  Fashoda  to  the  great  bend  of  the  river 
the  villages  seem  unceasing,  while  their  herds  have 
increased  twenty  fold.  For  many  years  the  policy 
of  dealing  with  these  tribes  has  been  in  the  hands 
of  one  Governor,  whose  consistent  and  enlightened 
ideals  have  been  fruitful  of  good. 

A  long  line  of  buildings  half  a  mile  in  extent  it 
made,  this  Fashoda,  or  Kodok,  as  they  now  choose 
to  name  it.  To  the  north  was  the  Governor's 
"  palace,"  on  the  site  of  the  camp  of  Marchand,  his 
garden  in  some  sort  remaining,  but  all  else  dis- 


A    SHIM, UK     liEAi; 


SHII.LUKS    I.EVEI.LIXc;    OM)    KARTHWOKKS, 


To  faoo  page  174. 


KODOK,  OR  FASHODA  175 

appeared.  Behind  were  the  earthworks  he  raised, 
and  some  rugged  brick  buildings  used  as  stores, 
and  built  in  the  days  of  Egyptian  possession. 

Straggling  southward  were  the  mtidiria  and 
court-house,  flying  the  emblems  of  Britain  and 
Egj^pt,  and  guarded  by  diligent  sentries  who 
challenge  all  comers ;  zaptieh,  or  prison,  with  the 
soldiers'  "  lines  "  in  regular  array ;  then  a  large  open 
space  of  cracked  soil,  which  at  times  smelt  as 
though  hundreds  of  years  of  dark  population  had 
fouled  it ;  lastly,  the  less  precise  but  still  orderly 
lines  of  the  suk\  or  market,  and  the  native  quarters, 
which  were  expanding  visibly. 

Fashoda  presents  its  worst  side  to  the  new-comer. 
One  would  judge  that  it  backed  on  the  river  rather 
than  fronted  it.  So  little  arrangement  appears  to 
have  been  made  in  regard  to  town  planning,  apart 
from  broad  lines,  that  irregularity  seems  to  be 
fashion,  and  it  forms  a  contrast  to  the  orderly 
neatness  of  Belgian  formations  up-river.  Still, 
great  odds  were  encountered,  and  existing  dis- 
positions seem  to  have  been  made  as  much  of  as 
possible.  After  all,  it  is  merely  a  mound  with  the 
river  in  front  and  marshland  behind,  wet  indeed  in 
the  summer. 

Malaria  is  rife,  as  may  well  be  expected,  but 
improvement  in  this  respect  is  apparent  even  here, 
as  the  result  of  regulations  following  on  the  in- 
valuable investigations  in  regard  to  the  breeding- 
places  of  the  mosquitoes. 

At  the  back  of  the  town  is  a  well-ordered  hospital 


176  TO  THE  LAND  OF  THE  NEGROID 

in  charge  of  a  competent  doctor,  with  a  motley 
collection  of  patients  from  far  districts  and  near. 
Shilluks,  Arabs,  and  Nuers  were  amongst  those 
who  profited  by  the  facilities  given,  and  each  and 
all  wondered  why  they  did  not  get  well  on  the  first 
dose  of  medicine.  This  constitutes  one  of  the  great 
difficulties  in  treating  the  native.  Treatment  seems 
to  be  held  as  a  species  of  magic,  the  effects  of  which 
should  be  immediately  visible,  so  regular  attendance 
of  out-patients  is  hard  to  obtain. 

Surgery  is  attended  by  similar  difficulties ;  patients 
cannot  believe  that  it  is  well  to  lose  half  a  leg  in 
order  to  save  the  rest  of  the  body.  In  South 
African  hospitals  a  species  of  fatalism  is  common. 
If  a  man  once  give  up  hope,  which  a  white 
man  would  cling  to,  he  says  he  is  going  to  die, 
and  forthwith  puts  his  intention  into  practice, 
and  dies.  It  is  similar  here,  and  no  steps  will 
prevent  them  when  once  they  have  made  up  their 
minds  ! 

Their  own  medical  practice  is  a  mixture  of  ele- 
mental knowledge,  quackery,  and  superstition,  many 
sensible  methods  being  led  to  more  by  accidental 
results  than  by  reason  or  principle. 

One  feels  struck  by  the  position  in  which  a  servant 
sometimes  places  his  employer  in  this  country  in 
regard  to  his  personal  relationship.  He  appears, 
especially  if  his  employer  be  long  resident  in  the 
country,  to  expect  him  to  take  a  generally  paternal 
interest  in  him  and  his  condition  of  life,  even  after 
he  has  left  his  service.     It  may  be  an  unrecognized 


ARRANGEMENTS  OF  MATRIMONY  177 

relic  of  old  days  of  slavery,  when  power  even  over 
life  and  death  seemed  to  involve  some  amount  of 
a  compensating  obligation,  and  the  absence  of 
responsibility  for  actions  or  thoughts  on  the  part 
of  the  servant  required  an  assumption  of  this  by 
the  master. 

If  he  be  wronged — particularly,  of  course,  by  a 
fellow-domestic — he  comes  naturally  to  his  em- 
ployer to  be  assisted,  and  in  some  instances  is 
apparently  willing  to  allow  his  life  to  be  more  or 
less  regulated  by  his  master.  I  have  been  told,  in 
the  case  of  the  latter  being  much  trusted,  that 
having  more  or  less  by  innuendo  given  it  to  be 
understood  that  he  had  a  desire  to  get  married,  a 
servant  may  patiently  wait  for  his  master  to  "  find  " 
the  wife  (who  has  generally,  nevertheless,  been 
delicately  indicated),  and  on  receiving  the  informa- 
tion that  one  has  been  chosen  or  found,  and  that 
he  could  marry  her,  may  reply  with  an  impassive 
face,  looking  directly  before  him  without  changing 
a  muscle  :  "  Haddir,  EfFendi "  (Ready,  sir) ;  "  I  will 
not  disobey  your  commands  " — ostensibly  taking  the 
information  as  an  ordinary  order  or  instruction,  all 
in  the  day's  work,  and  to  be  carried  out  without 
question.  All  the  time  he  would  be  bursting  with 
delight  at,  perhaps,  getting  the  very  girl  he  had 
coveted. 

There  is  no  question  of  courtship,  and,  probably, 
at  first  Uttle  affection  in  the  matter  ;  it  is  a  matter 
of  physical  appreciation  in  most  instances,  with 
judgment  as  to  utiUty  thrown  in.     For  woman  is 

12 


178   TO  THE  LAND  OF  THE  NEGROID 

an  asset  in  Africa  beyond  other  places  ;  not  merely 
a  wife,  she  is  largely  the  provider. 

"  Man  works  from  sun  till  sun, 
But  woman's  work  is  never  done." 

Up  at  the  dawn,  she  draws  water,  often  carrying 
her  burden  long  distances  ;  prepares  food  and  makes 
beer ;  grinds  the  corn,  which  she  has  largely  sowed 
and  ingathered ;  tends  the  babies  she  sHngs  on 
her  back ;  and  often  accompanies  her  husband  on 
long  expeditions,  carrying  the  impedimenta  of 
travel  while  her  lord  is  unburdened  except  for 
his  arms. 

Yet  it  would  be  sweeping  to  say  that,  at  least 
after  marriage,  there  is  not  affection  ;  this  could 
not  be  said  of  brute  beast,  let  alone  human  beings, 
and  though  doubtless  the  level  does  not  in  general 
reach  the  height  that  it  does  with  more  civilized 
peoples,  the  finer  sentiment  must  exist,  if  but  crude, 
and  great  joy  is  often  shown  on  the  reunion  of  long- 
separated  members  of  a  family. 

In  regard  to  their  children,  this  is  much  more 
developed,  more  especially  in  regard  to  the  boys, 
for  girls  do  not  rank  with  them.  Parental  instinct 
overmatches  uxorial.  But  if  matrimony  be  a  serious 
undertaking  in  England,  not  less  so  is  it  in  Africa ; 
it  may  be  infinitely  more  so  on  account  of  plurality, 
a  responsibility  hardly  appreciated  by  us,  unaccus- 
tomed as  we  are  to  utilize  our  wives  as  beasts  of 
burden,  and  only,  sometimes,  to  consider  them  as 
monetary  investments  I  As  this  responsibility  may 
even   in  Africa  become  somewhat  onerous,  it  is 


THE  INEVITABLE  MOTHER-IN-LAW  179 

modified  among  most  races,  but  not  among  all,  by 
a  power  of  divorce  almost  American  in  its  facility, 
but  mainly  in  favour  of  the  man. 

So  matrimony  is  not  to  be  lightly  entered  into 
by  the  inhabitants  of  the  Sudan,  even  in  respect  of 
one  wife  only  ;  there  is  considerable  formality  to  be 
observed  in  the  nuptial  proceedings ;  an  expensive 
feast  for  numbers  of  relations  is  considered  neces- 
sary ;  a  dowry  has  to  be  provided  for  the  bride,  who 
has,  moreover,  to  be  supplied  with  new  clothing, 
and,  indeed,  also  the  mother-in-law !  It  is  quite 
easy  for  an  Arab  to  spend  a  sovereign  on  each 
garment,  and  savings  are  long  in  increasing. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  causeway  we  may  come 
across  prisoners  in  chains,  under  guard,  doing  the 
light  work  of  the  sanitary  department,  drawing 
water  for  the  use  of  public  buildings  and  staff,  and 
by  no  means  too  discontented.  Some  Abyssinians 
stand  up  as  we  pass,  having  come  down  the  Sobat, 
perhaps  in  the  hope  of  evading  military  service,  a 
fact  which  causes  them  to  be  returned  whence  they 
came,  to  avoid  complications.  Many  of  these  men 
are  martyrs  to  "  itch,"  and  are  thus  most  un- 
welcome visitors. 

At  the  back  of  the  Governor's  house  is  the 
north-west  angle  of  the  old  Egyptian  earthworks, 
now  only  just  observable,  and  bounded  by  old 
buildings  of  brick.  These  are  relics  of  1871,  when 
the  Egyptians,  after  much  previous  difficulty,  finally 
conquered  the  Shilluks.  This  was  the  site  which 
Marchand  occupied  so  bravely  and  anxiously  during 

12—2 


180   TO  THE  LAND  OF  THE  NEGROID 

nine  months,  after  his  briUiant  journey  across  Africa 
to  what  still  was  the  land  of  the  Dervish,  then  at 
his  last  hour  of  resistance. 

In  the  centre  was  a  large  tree,  which  had  fallen 
and  looked  hardly  tidy.  The  reason  that  it  was  not 
cleared  away  was  a  spiritual  one.  In  Maori  par- 
lance it  was  tapu,  and  dared  not  be  touched  without 
giving  offence  to  the  Sliilluks,  who  regarded  it  as 
representing  the  heart  and  centre  of  their  nation. 

Indeed,  the  sacred  character  of  this  spot  was  one 
reason  for  the  continued  occupation  of  Fashoda. 
The  tree  has  been  since  cleared  away,  and  a  sapling 
was  planted  elsewhere.  But  the  sapHng  died,  and, 
strangely  enough,  a  shoot  from  the  root  of  the  old 
tree  sprang  up,  so  that  the  emblem  of  national 
existence  bursts  into  new  life.  It  is  to  be  hoped 
that  a  savage  appreciation  of  this  event  may  not 
also  involve  administrative  difficulties. 

On  the  far  side  of  the  earthworks  a  solitary  cross 
appeared,  marking  a  grave,  and  looking  lost  and 
forlorn  in  the  sweltering  landscape  ;  and  down  by 
the  side  of  the  khor  were  the  quarters  of  Egyptian 
employes,  who,  unfortunately,  stand  the  climate 
but  poorly.  It  is  a  strange  fact  that  the  Egyptian, 
accustomed  to  heat,  albeit  dry,  undergoes  the 
severity  of  Sudanese  climate  much  less  easily  than 
does  the  European,  and  displays  much  less  fortitude. 
One  poor  fellow  had  lost  his  wife  many  months 
before,  and  was  ui  great  trouble  because  her 
relatives  in  Cairo  required  that  her  body  should 
be   transplanted   to   her   native   soil.      His   corre- 


THE  MYSTERIOUS  WEST  181 

spondence  on  the  subject  had  been  protracted,  and 
the  expense  he  was  being  involved  in  enormous. 

Nevertheless,  he  dared  not  face  the  return  to  his 
family  without  having  complied  with  their  wishes, 
and  the  corpse  was  exhumed  after  months  of  inter- 
ment, and  despatched  the  1,800  miles  northwards 
to  Cairo.  The  sacrifice  he  thus  undertook  would 
probably  entail  a  protracted  sojourn  in  exile,  far 
from  the  "fleshpots"  which  his  soul  yearned  for. 
The  phenomenon  has  been  observed  here  of  a 
corpse  resisting  the  apparent  effects  of  decom- 
position, much  in  the  same  way  that  has  been 
noticed  in  Irish  bogs.  When  the  body  of  Lupton 
Bey  was  exhumed  on  the  occupation  of  Omdurman, 
it  was  mummified  and  perfectly  recognizable  after 
the  lapse  of  years. 

Across  our  path  marched  a  tall,  erect  figure, 
black  as  sin.  Long  muscular  thighs  protruded 
from  the  ox-hide  garment  hung  over  her  shoulder, 
as  a  mother  of  Shilluks  made  her  way  home  to  the 
hut  far  away  to  the  west. 

That  mysterious  West — what  lands  and  scenes 
are  lit  up  by  the  sun  as  it  throbs  its  way  daily 
across  the  great  continent !  From  the  long-limbed 
Shilluks  it  goes  onwards  to  Nubas  in  South 
Kordofan,  hilly  and  wild,  but  half  brought  under 
restraint  and  control,  where  the  villages  perch  on 
the  hills,  and  every  man's  hand  turns  against  that 
of  his  neighbour ;  then  over  the  regions  of  French 
Sudan,  Lake  Tchad,  Nigeria,  and  on  to  the  sea. 
It  sees  countless  myriads  of  human  beings,  whose 


182   TO  THE  LAND  OF  THE  NEGROID 

lives  are  often  dependent  on  the  caprice  of  a  chief, 
whose  existence  is  always  up  against  the  edge  of 
the  sword,  but  who  gradually,  slowly,  are  being 
rescued  by  civilization  from  aggravated  uncertainties 
as  to  life  and  to  liberty. 

The  career  of  the  domestic  cat  is  full  of  moments 
of  worry,  lest  a  dog  come  along  to  endanger  her 
life  ;  wild  "  beasties  "  suffer  the  same  apprehension. 
Only  civilized  man  lives  in  any  degree  of  calm 
peace  of  mind — that  is,  moment  by  moment ;  his 
barbarian  brother  shows  the  same  aptness  of  animals 
to  live  composedly  during  the  periods  of  quiet, 
without  giving  undue  thought  to  the  morrow. 
When  existence  is  so  chock-full  of  uncertainties, 
it  is  well  to  be  able  to  dismiss  them  from  mind  and 
hve  in  the  present ;  otherwise  abode  on  earth  would 
be  divided  merely  into  two  phases  of  unhappiness — 
the  misery  of  apprehension  and  the  torture  of 
actuality. 

To  stroll  into  the  suh%  as  the  civilian  native 
quarters  are  called,  properly  meaning  market,  gave 
food  for  amusement.  Here  were  Arabs  and  Greeks 
with  their  frail  shops  full  of  wares,  mainly  for  native 
consumption.  A  Greek  trader,  unkempt  and  un- 
tidy, came  slouching  along,  ready  to  purchase  a 
tusk,  to  contract  for  constructive  works,  or  to  head 
a  trade  expedition  in  the  interior. 

Living  much  as  the  natives  do,  adapting  them- 
selves to  circumstances  as  they  find  them,  the 
Greeks  contrive  to  live  and  make  small  money 
where  an  ordinary  European  would  starve.     They 


NILE    FISH    AT    lASHODA. 


XUEK   Fisinxc;   vii.i.agk. 


To  face  page  182. 


A  SUDANESE  MARKET-PLACE     183 

find  their  way  everywhere  ;  pushing  to  a  degree,  if 
not  too  rehable,  their  assistance  is  invaluable.  But 
their  very  powers  of  self-adaptation  render  them 
little  respected  by  natives,  who  scarcely  consider 
them  white  men,  and  look  with  contempt  at  the 
"  Greeky." 

Housewives  surrounded  the  stall  of  the  butcher's 
shop,  crowded  with  quaint  pieces  of  meat ;  drapers 
made  much  of  their  cottons  and  cloths.  The  long 
sheet  which  provides  the  dark  lady  with  a  dress  of 
unvarying  fashion  in  shape  was  gi-eatly  in  evidence, 
while  the  shop  hard  by  had  its  little  panniers  of 
lentils  and  other  produce  of  the  soil. 

Native  salt,  dirty  and  hard,  in  cones,  with  admix- 
ture of  the  dirt  it  was  evaporated  on  to,  was  on 
sale  as  a  valuable  article  of  barter,  as  were  brass 
wire  and  beads. 

On  the  shore  a  strange  sight  was  provided.  Far 
down-river  a  number  of  Arabs  arrived  with  their 
boats.  They  were  fishermen  by  trade,  making  their 
living  by  catching  and  selling  the  great  semmuck 
of  the  Nile,  and  were  engaged  in  skinning  and 
scahng  them  as  the  purchasers  came  round.  The 
size  of  these  fish  is  enormous,  and  their  flesh  really 
good.  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  it  palls  on  the 
taste  after  many  months'  diet ;  but  to  me,  fresh 
from  the  tinned  food  of  the  march,  it  was  luxury. 
Many  were  7  feet  long,  and  their  wide-open  mouths 
were  immense. 

Now  came  a  small  flock  of  sheep,  brought  in  by 
travelling  Arabs,  who  expected  a  price  which  they 


184   TO  THE  LAND  OF  THE  NEGROID 

never  would  get  in  Fashoda.  Having  marched 
many  miles,  their  regret  was  extreme. 

Walking  homewards,  a  most  characteristic  spec- 
tacle presented  itself.  A  long  line  of  perhaps 
twenty  men,  of  all  colours  and  sizes,  stood  facing 
roughly  north-east ;  together  they  knelt  and  pros- 
trated themselves,  mumbling  their  prayers  and  per- 
forming the  whole  ceremony  so  religiously  observed 
by  the  Muslims.  I  have  often  been  struck  by  the 
accuracy  with  which  they  face  Mecca ;  they  stand 
the  test  of  compass  and  map  most  remarkably. 
Can  one  imagine  a  party  of  navvies  in  Britain 
knocking  off  work  five  times  a  day  for  the  purpose 
of  performing  devotional  exercises  ? 

Here  in  Fashoda  there  did  not  appear  to  be  the 
nightly  disturbance  by  hyaenas  to  anything  like  the 
extent  I  observed  on  the  Blue  Nile.  For  at  Singa, 
newer  in  foundation  and  surrounded  by  bush,  these 
animals  haunted  the  place  in  the  night.  Incredibly 
bold,  the  mad  barking  by  dogs  of  the  village  would 
herald  the  robber,  who  would  now  and  then  steal  a 
goat  which  had  been  carelessly  folded.  Apparently 
fearless  of  man,  though  not  daring  to  touch  him, 
they  would  steal  past  our  beds  like  grim  shadows — 
on  one  occasion  even  jolting  the  bed  of  a  sleeper. 
Familiarity  breeds  contempt,  and  no  qualms  were 
experienced  after  the  lapse  of  a  few  nights. 

Yet  there  appears  to  be  one  species  of  a  far 
different  character.  Three  soldiers  came  into  Renk 
and  declared  they  had  been  attacked  by  a  monster 
hyaena,  black  in  colour.     They  escaped  with  diflfi- 


A  NOCTURNAL  TORMENT         185 

culty,  and  exhibited  the  butts  of  their  rifles,  which 
had  been  smashed  by  the  powerful  jaws  of  their 
assailant.  I  was  told  that  this  large  black  hyaena 
may  be  found  in  Kordofan,  and  that  he  is  no  mean 
antagonist.  The  natives  trap  the  hyaena,  and  take 
pleasure  in  mocking  and  teasing  the  prisoner  prior 
to  despatching  him. 

The  Chief  of  the  Shilluks  is  styled  the  Mek, 
and  is  an  important  individual.  His  son,  a  very 
smart  young  buck,  who  had  charge  of  his  spear — 
a  particularly  good  example — would  come  often 
into  Fashoda,  being  partly  attracted,  no  doubt,  by 
the  gift  which  usually  awaited  him.  His  father's 
predecessor  had  proved  unamenable  to  enlightened 
ideas  or  to  reason,  and  was  deposed  in  favour  of 
the  present  chief,  who  has  proved  rather  more  satis- 
factory. I  had  the  honour  of  seeing  some  of  his 
ladies,  who  were  in  hospital  suffering  from  an 
unfortunate  indisposition. 

As  is  no  uncommon  occurrence  in  Fashoda,  the 
weather  was  warm,  and  the  little  brick  palace 
assigned  me  was  stifling  at  night.  Publicity  is  not 
embarrassing  there,  and  one's  bedstead  outside  in 
the  big,  open  space  seemed  quite  en  regie  and  right. 
True,  if  the  wind  blew  beyond  zephyrs,  the  dust 
was  somewhat  atrocious,  and  the  scent  from  the 
khor  was  occasionally  vile  ;  but  the  coolness  made 
up  for  all  limitations  save  one  :  to  discover  this 
baffled  my  ingenuity.  Night  after  night  I  woke  up 
in  misery,  but  the  irritant  always  evaded  the  most 
rigorous   search.     Morning   showed   nothing ;    the 


186   TO  THE  LAND  OF  THE  NEGROID 

common  flea  was  not,  sand-flies  were  not  to  be 
seen.  It  was  some  dark  speciality  of  Fashoda, 
ghostly  relics  of  Abdullah's  tortures,  left  behind  to 
take  vengeance  by  night. 

One  is  not  even  alone  in  one's  house ;  a  large 
species  of  wasp  also  inhabits  it,  taking  scant  notice 
of  mankind  unless  he  provoke.  It  builds  mud 
dwellings  on  the  walls,  and  in  each  cell  an  egg  is 
deposited.  Its  chief  characteristic  is  unmitigated 
pertinacity  and  perseverance.  No  matter  how  often, 
in  safety  during  the  builder's  absence,  the  construc- 
tion be  destroyed,  fresh  mud  is  brought  from  the 
Mo7%  and  operations  recommenced  without  symptom 
of  annoyance  or  surprise. 

The  lizards,  too,  are  a  source  of  amusement  and 
comfort.  The  flies  of  Fashoda  are  no  less  a  nuisance 
than  elsewhere,  and  temperature  being  extreme, 
likewise  is  intolerance  of  them.  So  one  thanks  God 
for  the  small  lizard  which  comes  to  the  rescue,  and 
so  tamely  and  confidingly  meanders  in  quest  of  his 
food.  One  sits  down  to  read,  and  the  fly  makes  that 
impossible.  Despite  the  heat,  every  inch  of  exposed 
skin  is  wrapped  up  to  avoid  him,  and  a  seroot  settles 
down,  or  wasps  and  bees  utter  their  menacing  note  ; 
then  blessings  are  invoked  on  the  wee  reptiles  who 
so  unhesitatingly  captin-e  these  torments,  and  wishes 
are  fervent  that  they  may  gather  in  greater  numbers 
around,  to  free  one  from  pests  and  from  stains  on 
one's  vocabulary  I 

At  a  spot  on  the  Mountain  Nile  I  once  saw  a 
duel  between  a  bat  and  a  lizard — swiftness  of  wing 


FAMINE  AND  PLENTY  187 

versus  swiftness  of  leg.  That  a  bat  should  consider 
a  lizard  his  prey,  or  vice  versa,  seemed  unlikely,  yet 
the  evolutions  performed  left  no  doubt,  and  were 
only  ended  by  the  entrance  of  a  servant. 

In  this  country  the  lives  of  cattle  alternate  be- 
tween conditions  of  plenty  and  famine.     These  are 
nothing  if  not  extreme.     1908  was  remarkable  in 
the  Sudan  for  the  superfluity  of  maize,  which  was 
left  to  rot  in  the  fields.     At  other  times  or  in  other 
places  dhurra  may  be  so  scarce  as  to  cause  famine, 
requiring  the  good  offices  of  Government.     So,  in 
the  wet  season,  unfortunate  is  the  animal  which 
does  not  get  sleek  and  fat  on  the  abounding  green 
grass.    He  requires  all  his  flesh  to  carry  him  through 
the  dry  season,  and  at  the  end  he  resembles  a  bag 
of  dry  bones.     But  if  the  fat  kine  become  scare- 
crows in  these  terrible  months,  how  fares  it  with 
the  lean?     They  fall  lower  and  lower,  dying  by 
inches,  becoming  the  prey  of  a  smaU  but  terrible 
fly,  which,  as  the  poor  beast  rolls  on  the  ground  in 
endeavours  to  rid  himself  of  it,  swarms  in  great 
numbers  reciprocatingly  to  the  side  which  comes 
uppermost.     Thus  the  suffering  animal  is  badgered 
to  death. 

AValking  down  one  day  to  the  river,  our  eyes 
were  directed  to  a  woman  approaching  us,  with  a 
comparative  grace  and  distinction  most  unusual  in 
this  land  of  unsesthetic  form.  She  carried  the  usual 
calabash  on  her  head  for  her  husband,  from  the  waist 
upward  her  body  was  only  half  veiled  by  a  semi- 
transparent  cloth,  and  her  features  and  figure  were 


188   TO  THE  LAND  OF  THE  NEGROID 

pleasing.  My  companion  remarked,  as  he  passed 
her,  that  he  thought  she  must  be  of  the  Baggara 
tribe.  Catching  the  word,  she  instantly  turned,  and, 
as  if  considerably  resenting  the  implication,  said : 
"Ana  mush  Baggara;  ana  Habashi "  (I  am  not 
Baggara  ;  I  am  Abyssinian).  She  was  the  wife  of 
a  soldier,  and  had  been  taken  in  early  youth  from 
the  neighbourhood  of  Kassala.  Her  voice,  too, 
was  distinctly  an  improvement  on  the  hoarse  animal 
utterances  of  the  Arab  creature,  whom  it  is  difficult 
sometimes  to  credit  with  being  human.  Even  the 
raw  negroid  ladies  of  marshland  seemed  to  approxi- 
mate sweet  femininity  more  nearly  than  these. 

I  determined  to  cross  over  to  the  far  island 
opposite  Kodok  to  try  to  bag  hippo,  which  were 
lying  at  the  upstream  end  some  500  yards  away. 
A  walk  through  the  grass  on  the  flat  surface  might 
not  be  disagreeable,  and  the  difficulties  encountered 
were  by  no  means  expected. 

As  the  felucca  approached  the  mud  shore,  two 
crocodiles,  hidden  in  the  grass,  silently  slipped  into 
the  water,  and  I  realized  that  the  nice,  soft  grass, 
as  it  looked  from  over  the  river,  was  cane-like,  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  thick  in  the  stem,  meeting  well 
over  my  head  in  full  strength,  and  matted  and 
tangled  ;  it  would  be  a  formidable  obstacle  to  pro- 
gress, and  the  noise  of  the  passage  might  be  con- 
siderable. Then,  again,  it  was  1  p.m.,  and  the  heat, 
both  direct  from  the  sun,  and,  almost  worse,  as  the 
sun  was  overhead,  that  also  retained  and  reflected 
by  the  grass  and  transmitted  from  below,  was  in- 


HIPPO  AT  KODOK  189 

tense  and  indescribable.  Still,  in  for  a  penny  in 
for  a  pound,  and  it  seemed  foolish  to  turn  back. 
Pushing,  climbing,  and  struggling,  falling  often  with 
one  leg  in  a  hippo's  footprint,  I  burst  my  way  into 
the  centre  where  hippos  wandered  at  night  at  their 
feed,  and  gave  vent  to  the  strange,  grunting  bellow 
which  reached  through  the  darkness  to  one's  bed 
on  the  shore.  To  be  charged  in  the  midst  of  the 
tangle  would  be  far  too  exciting  for  actual  pleasure. 
A  peep  on  the  shore  showed  that  the  unavoidable 
rusthng  of  grass  had  done  its  expected  work — 
presumably,  a  self-respecting  hippo  would  not  go 
ashore  here  at  midday  ;  they  had  smelt  danger,  and 
had  moved  from  the  shallows  where  they  would 
have  afforded  a  most  easy  shot.  One  fronted  me 
halfway  over  the  river,  his  nostrils  and  ears  above 
water.  He  sank  dead  as  a  doornail,  and  the  river 
soon  carried  him  north  to  be  food  for  expectant 
Shilluks.  Every  black  head  disappeared  at  the 
shot,  and  full  half  an  hour  was  spent  on  the  grill 
before  a  second  opportunity  occurred.  This  time 
the  bullet  crashed  through  the  skull,  the  impact 
causing  a  noise  which  sounded  to  listeners  down- 
wind almost  like  that  of  a  second  report.  The 
strange  habit  of  the  hippo,  unlike  any  other  animal 
I  know  of,  is  to  dive  backward.  Time  after  time, 
while  waiting  and  watching,  I  was  reminded  that 
two  can  play  at  that  game,  for  often  the  upper 
surface  of  a  long,  scaly  body  in  mid-stream  could 
be  seen  taking  stock  of  position  and  reckoning 
chances. 


190   TO  THE  LAND  OF  THE  NEGROID 

Worse  than  ever  was  the  quarter  of  a  mile  back 
to  the  felucca.  The  heat  being  overpowering  and 
the  exertion  killing,  I  was  left  far  too  exhausted  to 
take  interest  in  any  subsequent  proceedings. 

A  couple  of  foreign  sportsmen  once  had,  with 
their  servants,  a  most  disagreeable  experience  on 
the  White  Nile.  Presumably  taking  their  cue  from 
native  hunters,  they  shot  at  and  wounded  a  hippo 
from  their  small  boat.  He  got  cross,  and,  not  being 
disabled,  charged  the  boat  furiously,  crunching  it  in 
his  jaws  and  sinking  it.  The  occupants  fortunately 
escaped  with  their  rifles,  and,  according  to  the  story 
handed  on  to  me,  succeeding  in  mounting  one  of 
the  small  islands  of  "  sudd,"  cut  away  in  course  of 
the  clearing  of  blocks  up  the  river,  which  come 
floating  down.  So  far,  so  good  ;  but,  huddled  to- 
gether, to  their  dismay  the  heads  of  a  whole  herd 
of  hippo  made  themselves  visible  around.  Am- 
munition had  mostly  gone  down  with  the  boat,  but 
fortunately  thej''  were  not  again  attacked,  and  after 
a  long  delay  succeeded  in  reaching  the  bank. 

On  Lake  No — the  expanse  formed  by  the  junction 
of  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal  with  the  Mountain  Nile, 
where  the  latter  comes  in  from  the  south  to  flow 
eastward  awhile  as  the  head  of  the  White  Nile — 
the  hippos  are  particularly  savage  and  numerous, 
and  the  natives  in  their  slight  canoes  are  in  continual 
danger  of  being  attacked. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  "CREWE  JUNCTION"  OF  THE  NILE 

As  we  steamed  southward  up-river,  a  few  Shilluk 
boats  were  crossing,  bringing  in  the  last  of  their 
taxes  in  kind,  dhurra  being  its  form. 

To  Tewfikieh  is  fifty-five  miles,  and  this  space 
gave  occasion  some  years  before  for  a  demonstra- 
tion of  the  great  powers  of  endurance  a  native 
possesses,  and  will  exhibit  when  put  to  it.  One  of 
our  sailors  was  a  tall,  negroid  Arab,  powerfully 
built,  and  known  by  the  name  of  Sheikh.  In  most 
ways  a  reliable  man,  he  had  the  failing  which  so 
many  white  brethren  succumb  to.  The  neighbour- 
hood of  the  suk  Sit  Tewfikieh  proved  too  much 
for  him ;  there  was  merissa  in  plenty,  and  Sheikh 
had  been  weeks  up  the  river  with  us,  even  as  far  as 
Gondokoro. 

So  he  fell ;  the  steam-whistle  called  on  stupefied 
ears,  and  "  bukra "  (to-morrow)  appealed  more  to 
him  than  his  sense  of  the  urgency  of  the  summons. 
So  after  an  hour  had  been  spent  by  the  steamer 
battling  with  the  breeze,  and  it  had  just  succeeded 
in  breaking  away  from  the  bank,  a  black  figure, 
wildly  gesticulating,   fled   along   on   the   opposite 

191 


192  "  CREWE  JUNCTION  "  OF  THE  NILE 

bank,  shedding  white  garments  as  he  ran,  and 
rolhng  them  up,  with  many  verbal  instructions, 
borne  down  faint  on  the  breeze,  to  the  reis.  It 
was  no  use ;  once  free  of  the  shore,  making  way 
in  the  teeth  of  the  wind,  the  steamer  would  not 
stop  for  the  delinquent,  and  the  last  visible  of  poor 
Sheikh  was  a  lonely  white  point  in  the  distance, 
plodding  silently  on. 

At  Kodok  next  day,  some  time  before  leaving 
after  the  usual  short  stay  of  the  steamer,  1  went 
on  to  the  upper  deck,  and  there  saw  a  familiar 
figure,  recumbent  in  deep  sleep.  It  was  Sheikh, 
who  in  the  twenty-four  hours  had  travelled  on 
foot  the  whole  distance,  much  of  it  during  the 
night,  and  had  finished  his  journey  of  fifty-five 
miles  by  swimming  the  river. 

He  had  the  grace,  this  good-natured  giant,  to 
look  rather  sheepish  and  small  when  I  laughed  at 
him,  and  thenceforth  lost  no  opportunity  of  atone- 
ment for  his  error,  even  fishing  for  a  crocodile 
which  I  had  shot,  and  had  got  into  waist-deep 
water,  by  wading  in  to  search  with  his  legs  I 

The  banks  grew  more  and  more  populous  as  we 
progressed,  mainly  on  the  west  bank ;  little  groups 
stood  at  the  meshras  (landing-places),  men  strode 
along  the  banks,  and  black  nippers  tended  herds 
of  slowly  grazing  cattle.  Here  and  there  on  the 
edge  of  far-distant  bush  could  be  seen  the  forms 
of  shy  antelope,  and  conical  hut  roofs  dotted  the 
skyhne. 

On  either  side  of  the  steamer  we  were  accom- 


A  CARGO  OF  LADIES  193 

panied  by  double-decked  sandals,  or  barges,  carry- 
ing a  consignment  of  women-folk  from  Kodok  to 
Tewfikieh,  where  their  husbands,  the  soldiers, 
awaited  them.  The  crowd  was  enormous ;  one 
could  scarcely  have  picked  one's  way  through 
them.  When  it  comes  to  remembrance  what  a 
hullabaloo  even  two  native  women  create  when 
they  talk,  the  resultant  from  scores  comes  within 
measurable  distance  of  rivalling  the  volume  of 
sound  produced  in  the  tea-room  of  a  ladies'  club 
in  London.  It  was  preferable  to  the  latter,  being 
in  the  open  air,  but  at  night  proved  disturbing,  and 
stern  measures  had  to  be  taken. 

Some  of  the  women  were  girls  of  Tolodi,  a 
locality  some  days  west  of  Kodok,  where  a  rising 
took  place  in  1906,  resulting  in  the  murder  of  the 
Egyptian  JNIamur  who  was  in  charge,  and  of  a 
number  of  his  soldiers. 

The  colour  of  these  young  women  much  re- 
sembled the  even,  blacklead  tint  noticeable  in  the 
Basuto  in  South  Africa,  and  stood  in  pleasant 
contrast  to  the  somewhat  dirty  chocolate  of  the 
Arabs. 

Where  the  country  is  so  consistently  flat,  a  slight 
rise  comes  as  an  agreeable  variety,  and  when 
crowned  with  thick-foliaged  trees  Elysium  seems 
to  be  reached.  Amongst  the  prettiest  spots  on 
the  river  was  one  such  locality,  when  a  large 
grove  of  palms  was  divided  in  two  by  a  small 
number  of  huts.  It  is  noticeable  in  the  Sudan 
that  the  native  does  not  cultivate  trees  round  his 

13 


194    "  CREWE  JUNCTION  "  OF  THE  NILE 

habitation.  His  villages  are  often  a  collection  of 
beehives  stuck  on  a  treeless  plain,  and  the  idea  of 
having  a  tree  near  one's  front-door  to  provide 
shade  does  not  seem  to  specially  appeal  to  them. 
Its  absence  may  aid  them  in  keeping  free  from 
mosquitoes. 

In  this  instance  it  was  different,  and  palm-groves 
not  being  too  common,  the  fruit  and  the  leaves, 
from  which  cordage  is  made,  may  have  been  the 
attraction.  It  was  a  quite  pretty  sight — the  hay- 
coloured  roofs  and  dull  red  of  the  huts,  amongst 
the  green  of  the  tall,  handsome  palms.  The  little 
girls  were  strolling  down  to  the  river  with  their 
water-pots,  splashing  and  shrieking  in  the  water ; 
lithe,  naked  men  laboured  at  building  a  hut,  or 
sat  smoking  their  long  pipes  at  ease,  while  the 
women  had  a  certain  dignity  and  ease  of  carriage 
which  gave  grace  even  to  the  patchy  oxskin  slung 
over  one  shoulder. 

The  population  has  increased  enormously  even 
in  the  last  two  or  three  years.  In  the  old  days 
few  tukls  (huts)  would  have  been  seen  by  the  side 
of  the  river ;  pheasants  would  just  as  securely  rest 
by  the  lair  of  the  fox.  But  now  an  almost  con- 
tinuous line  of  these  buildings  exists  for  scores  of 
miles,  and  the  cattle  seem  inimmerable,  which  the 
ravages  of  cattle  disease  in  1908  have  not  seriously 
affected. 

At  a  spot  by  name  Lul,  where  the  ground  rises 
considerably  higher  and  farther  away  from  the 
river  than  usual,  was  a  long,  low  building  of  brick. 


THE  AUSTRIAN  MISSION  195 

a  mound,  and  a  cross,  marking  the  Austrian  Jesuit 
Mission.  "  Shadoofs  "  from  the  river  sent  their 
water  some  hundreds  of  yards,  and  a  fever-worn 
brother  stood  on  the  shore.  Yet  better  here  is 
their  lot  than  that  of  the  self-sacrificing  Father 
Knoblecher,  who  in  the  barbarous  days  of  1848 
penetrated  far  up  the  Mountain  Nile  to  Kenisa 
(Church),  or  Heiligen  Kreuz,  only  six  degrees 
above  the  equator.  There  in  the  midst  of  the 
most  desolate  morasses  and  forest,  where  nature 
as  well  as  man  was  vile,  where  daily  existence 
could  have  been  nothing  short  of  torture,  he  and 
his  brethren  spent  their  days  and  lost  their  lives 
on  a  mere  patch  of  ground  above  water,  amongst 
scattered  members  of  a  degraded  race.  When  I 
was  there,  little  if  anything  remained  to  mark  the 
post.  One  large  tree  with  thick,  pendulous  pods 
hung  over  the  water ;  a  tangle  of  small  growth 
matted  the  eminence  which  held  the  bones  of 
some  seventy  victims.  There  is  romance  in  this 
desolate  spot ;  it  is  still  hellig—  gone  is  the  earthly, 
remaining  the  spirit,  and  one  may  believe  that, 
in  vain  as  it  may  have  appeared  at  the  time,  the 
effort  was  not  entirely  wasted. 

Onward  to  the  high  bank  of  Tewfikieh,  crowned 
again  by  the  rustling  shade  of  the  broad-leafed 
palm,  where  the  steamers  of  the  Irrigation  Depart- 
ment and  of  the  monthly  Gondokoro  service  lie 
alongside,  and  the  long  spars  of  ghayassas  tower 
high  in  the  air.  The  last  station  before  the  three 
great  routes   branch  off  to   the  east,  south,  and 

13—2 


196   "  CREWE  JUNCTION  "  OF  THE  NILE 

west,  it  may  well  deserve  the  name  of  the  "  Crewe 
Junction  "  of  the  Nile. 

Providence  orders  a  certain  fitness  in  the  materials 
which  are  placed  ready  to  hand  for  the  use  of  man- 
kind, and  of  these  the  natives  avail  themselves. 
The  mud  which  the  Arabs  employ  for  their  huts  is 
fairly  resistent  of  heat ;  bricks  are  made  for  the 
white  man,  being  dried  in  the  sun.  In  the  dry 
season  grass  walls  have  their  advantages,  letting 
the  breezes  pass  through ;  but  summer  brings 
tropical  rain,  and  thatched  roofs  often  leak — in 
fact,  it  is  often  difficult  to  find  a  dry  spot  in  a  hut 
at  these  times.  Civilization  brought  with  it  corru- 
gated iron,  with  a  lining  of  wood  for  its  roofs.  It 
did  not  stop  there,  but  constructed  whole  houses 
and  stables,  which  roasted  their  inmates.  Of  all 
the  contrivances  for  the  discomfort  of  members  of 
the  animal  kingdom,  perhaps  the  earliest  designs 
of  the  tin  house  adopted  in  the  Sudan  were  the 
worst  in  a  broihng  hot  climate,  and  men  have  often 
resumed  life  in  their  huts  as  a  matter  of  preference. 
Double  roofs  are  sometimes  arranged,  but  the  eaves 
cannot  be  left  open  to  allow  of  a  current  of  air,  on 
account  of  the  thousands  of  bats  which  would  take 
refuge  thereunder.  Broad  verandahs  and  much 
greater  intramural  air-spaces  are  now  provided, 
with  quite  satisfactory  results. 

Considering  the  discomforts  and  dangers  under 
which  pioneers  labour,  and  the  devotion  they  show 
in  performance  of  duties,  one  may  well  urge  that 
their  housing  be  made  a  matter  of  paramount  con- 


PICTURESQUE  TEWFIKIEH       197 

sideration.  And  seeing  what  was  accomplished 
years  ago  by  Belgium  in  the  Lado  Enclave — 
reached,  not  by  the  waterway,  but  across  continent 
— one  falls  to  considering  why  the  Sudan  is  behind. 
Tightness  of  money  there  is,  but  vast  sums  are 
spent  at  Khartoum,  as  in  the  building  of  an  enor- 
mous embankment,  a  tithe  of  the  cost  of  which 
might  well  mean  the  saving  of  lives  up  the  country 
if  expended  in  that  direction.  Still,  yearly  im- 
provement is  being  made  in  this  matter  under 
skilled  direction,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  not 
a  long  time  will  elapse  before  all  the  important 
stations  are  provided  with  healthy  and  satisfactory 
housing. 

Tewfikieh  was  founded  by  Baker,  and  has  con- 
sistently, but  perhaps  not  altogether  wisely,  been 
continued  as  a  station  for  troops.  Doubtless  the 
great  explorer  was  attracted  by  the  high  bank  and 
the  grove  of  palm-trees,  but  it  has  the  fatal  defect 
of  having  swamps  quite  adjacent.  There  are  few 
places  which  have  not,  however,  and  so  much 
money  has  been  spent  of  recent  years  in  buildings 
that  probably,  unless  heroic  measures  be  taken,  the 
choice  will  be  perpetuated.  The  adjacent  irrigation 
base  is  more  fortunately  situated. 

Many  Shilluks  stroll  around,  and  one  or  two 
young  men  come  up  to  enter  into  con\'ersation. 
They  are  amiable,  but  incoherent,  their  Arabic 
being  faulty,  and  it  is  to  be  feared  that  they  have 
become  accustomed  to  see  the  tourists  who  travel 
from  Khartoum  to  Gondokoro  and  back,  and  find 


198   "  CREWE  JUNCTION  "  OF  THE  NILE 

that  an  occasional  garush  or  piastre  may  be  earned 
by  their  smiles.  The  value  of  money  is  being 
learnt  by  the  river-side,  and  the  unconsciousness 
of  nudity  has  departed.  The  purchasing  power 
of  coin  is  already  applied  by  the  weak  ones  to 
merissa,  and  the  blessings  of  civilization  develop. 

There  is  always  a  certain  degree  of  regret  felt 
when  a  people  emerge  from  a  primitive  state  and 
take  on  the  beginnings  of  our  so-called  culture.  If 
they  are  savage  and  crude,  they  are  children  of 
Nature,  and  more  or  less  honest  about  it.  Imperfect 
as  are  results  in  our  own  cases,  we  too  often  show 
them  that  primeval  man  is  still  in  us,  and  the 
incongruities  which  are  the  effect  of  a  struggle 
between  right  and  wrong,  or  a  falling  short  of 
ideals,  may  appear  to  them  simply  as  proof  of 
pretence.  They  learn  that  life  becomes  greatly 
more  complicated,  its  conditions  being  more  oner- 
ous, and,  not  possessing  the  expert  acquaintance 
which  our  long  custom  and  intelligence  brings  of 
their  employment,  they  tend  to  get  muddled  and 
lost,  which  involves  the  moral  chaos  which  has 
been  remarked  on  times  without  number. 

Yet  these  smart  young  bucks,  done  up  in  beads, 
ostrich  feathers,  and  paint,  with  marvellous  con- 
structions of  their  hair  and  fanciful  adornments, 
had  the  advantage  of  pleasant  manners,  and  one 
deemed  it  necessary  to  apologize  for  the  fact  that 
he  had  business  elsewhere,  and  must  leave  me,  by 
making  the  statement,  "Ana  rua"  (I  am  going). 
Probably  the  less  refined  savage  would  simply  have 


A  SUBJECT  FOR  ARGUMENT      199 

gone,  without  the  poHteness  of  such  explanation. 
Verily,  here  in  Shilluk-land  the  suffragette  might 
well  turn  the  tables,  and  say :  "  Vanity,  thy  name  is 
man." 

The  inhabitants  of  Tewfikieh  would  deem  that 
one  of  the  principal  features  of  the  place  had  been 
scurvily  treated  if  mention  were  not  made  of  the 
two  elephant  skulls  which  stand  by  the  door  of 
the  officers'  mess.  One  will  gravely  give  you  the 
history  that  they  are  relics  of  Baker's  prowess  in 
the  days  of  his  sojourn  with  big-bore  muzzle-loaders, 
and  then  proceed  to  smile  at  you  for  falling  a 
victim  to  fable  ;  another  will  heartily  vouch  for  its 
accuracy.  What  can  the  poor  visitor  do  in  such 
turmoil  of  testimony  ?  Perhaps  the  balance  lies  in 
favour  of  the  truth  of  the  stateinent,  as  they  are 
certainly  old  ;  Baker  was  a  great  elephant  shot, 
was  at  Tewfikieh,  there  are  no  witnesses  against 
him  and  no  other  claimant. 

The  influence  of  the  "  sudd "  country  to  the 
south  seemed  to  be  made  evident  here,  for  the 
temperature  was  steamy  and  hot  to  a  degi'ee — 
102  degrees  in  the  shade.  Little  relief  came  at 
night,  and  the  settlement  looked  like  a  miniature 
Cowes  from  the  river,  owing  to  the  unusual  number 
of  nuggars  and  steamboats  crowding  the  bank, 
their  multitudinous  hghts  mingling  with  those  on 
the  shore. 

Only  a  few  miles  separate  us  from  the  point 
where  the  Sobat,  the  most  southern  of  the  Abys- 
sinian   rivers     (save    the    less    important    Asua), 


200  "  CREWE  JUNCTION  "  OF  THE  NILE 

debouches  into  the  Nile,  and  it  marks  the  most 
southerly  point  of  the  great  section  styled  the 
Bahr-el-Abiad  (White  River).  The  Sobat  meets 
the  joint  streams  of  the  Bahr-el-Gebel  (INIountain 
River)  and  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal  coming  in  from  the 
west,  almost  face  to  face,  the  course  then  being 
deflected  northwards. 

At  the  junction  is  the  site  of  a  late  Dervish  fort, 
commanding  the  three  waterways.  It  had  been 
hoped  that  the  Sobat  would  develop  into  the  most 
important  route  into  Abyssinia.  Steamers  ply  for 
a  long  distance  along  its  course,  and  a  trade  centre 
has  been  leased  by  the  Sudan  Government  at 
Gambela,  in  Abyssinian  territory.  But  navigation 
in  the  upper  reaches  is  too  uncertain  for  full  use, 
and  there  is  some  disappointment. 

Some  few  miles  up  the  river  is  the  American 
Mission  among  the  Shilluks,  and  far  away  up  is 
the  spot  where  poor  General  Gatacre  died,  lonely 
and  unattended.  There  is  something  peculiarly 
striking  in  the  fact  that  his  grave  should  be  made 
at  so  isolated  a  spot  in  the  land  which  his  great 
energies  aided  in  rescuing. 

It  is  perhaps  appropriate  at  this  point  to  refer 
roughly  to  the  general  scheme  of  the  Nile  and  its 
tributaries  in  reference  to  the  life-giving  flood  which 
renders  Egypt  a  land  of  prosperity  rather  than 
desert.  But  for  its  tributaries  cultivation  would 
be  confined  to  the  narrowest  limits,  for  the  amount 
of  effluent  from  the  stream  south  of  the  Sobat 
varies  but  little  the  whole  round  of  the  year,  on 


REGULATION  OF  WATER-SUPPLY  201 

account   of    the   low-lying    marshes   of  enormous 
extent  which  a  sUght  rise  of  the  water  spills  into. 

This  circumstance  affects  the  river  almost  from 
its  source,  for  the  excess  of  Victoria  Nyanza  in  the 
summer  is  soaked  up  in  marshes  on  the  Victoria 
Nile,  while  that  of  Lake  Albert  is  disposed  of  in 
the  regions  of  "  sudd  "  on  the  Mountain  Nile  south 
of  Lake  No.  The  Bahr-el-Ghazal  suffers  similarly. 
It  is  in  the  direction  of  controlling  this  treasure 
that  improvement  is  coming ;  but  though  schemes 
of  dams  and  canals  are  being  considered,  the  regula- 
tion necessary  to  irrigation  is  yet  in  its  infancy, 
and  meanwhile  the  Sudan  of  necessity  more  or 
less  starves. 

The  dredging  of  the  channel  through  the  Zeraf  is 
already  in  progress,  and  it  is  hoped  that  the  improved 
carrying  capacity  of  the  channel,  supplemented 
eventually  by  a  dam  retaining  the  surplus  waters 
of  Lake  Albert,  will  supply  the  needs  of  Egypt ; 
this  leaves  the  Blue  Nile  free  for  the  purposes  of 
the  Sudan,  which  will  naturally  be  directed  to  the 
Ghezireh,  lying  between  the  Blue  and  the  White 
rivers,  and  long  known  for  its  productiveness.  The 
latter  part  of  the  scheme,  hi  its  fullest  development, 
depends  on  problems  which  have  yet  to  be  solved, 
but  in  the  meantime  there  is  ample  scope  for  effort 
in  the  initial  stages  of  the  work. 

The  three  main  contributing  rivers  are  the 
Atbara,  Blue  Nile,  and  Sobat,  in  their  order  from 
north  to  south,  and  all  rise  in  the  hills  of  Abyssinia. 
The  Atbara,  being  nearer  the  mouth,  naturally  wins 


202   "  CREAVE  JUNCTION  "  OF  THE  NILE 

the  race,  and  its  flood  comes  down  first ;  then  comes 
the  Blue  Nile,  but  its  waters  are  held  up  by  the 
force  of  the  earher  torrent,  and,  backing  into  the 
more  upstream  bed,  fill  it  and  form  a  natural 
reservoir.  Precisely  the  same  occurs  as  between 
the  Blue  Nile  and  the  Sobat,  so  that  not  till  the 
Atbara  commences  to  slacken  does  the  Blue  Nile 
come  fully  into  play,  and  only  after  the  latter  has 
finished  its  turn  does  the  Sobat  come  in.  There  is 
thus  a  natural  regulation  and  prolongation  of  supply, 
which  is  artificially  augmented  by  the  great  dam  at 
Assuan. 

The  explanations  of  the  ancients  respecting  the 
rise  and  fall  of  the  Nile  are  interesting  and  amusing. 
For  eighty  miles  or  so  from  the  most  southerly 
point  of  the  White  Nile,  the  river,  now  over  500 
miles  to  the  south  of  Khartoum,  flows  almost  due 
east  from  the  west,  as  the  Nasamonians  of  He- 
rodotus reported,  and  at  Lake  No  the  Mountain 
Nile  joins  from  the  south  at  right  angles.  There  is 
thus,  as  between  the  White  Nile  and  the  JNIountain 
Nile,  a  rectangular  shoulder,  across  which  a  branch 
or  short-cut  of  the  river  runs  diagonally.  This  is 
the  Bahr-el-Zeraf,  or  Giraffe  River,  very  well  named, 
for  many  of  these  creatures  were  seen  in  the  course 
of  the  next  few  days. 

The  entrance  to  the  Zeraf  was  most  abrupt. 
From  the  great  waters  of  the  wide  Nile  one's  eyes 
suddenly  fell  on  grassy  plains  on  either  side  of  the 
steamer,  and  almost  touching  the  sandals  alongside. 
The  effect  produced  was  as  if  we  were  sailing  across 


THE  HOME  OF  THE  ELEPHANT  203 

the  dry  land.  On  our  left  were  the  far-away 
Gebels  Zeraf,  five  in  number,  blue  in  the  shimmer- 
ing atmosphere.  All  around  them  was  grass-covered 
plain,  with  scarcely  a  tree  to  be  seen. 

To  the  right  a  strange  object  appeared,  a  lump 
in  the  distant  high  grass,  and  it  moved.  At  one 
moment  it  seemed  to  dodge  hither,  slowly  yet 
steadily  ;  then  it  altered  its  course  and  travelled 
elsewhere,  growing  steadily  larger  as  it  apparently 
traversed  the  plain.  It  was  only  a  steamer,  on  the 
hidden  main  river,  which  ran  at  an  angle  with  the 
Zeraf,  and  gave  the  peculiar  effect  we  ourselves 
would  present  on  our  invisible  waterway.  Far 
beyond  her  was  the  great  Mountain  Nile,  the 
stream  directed  from  the  south  once  again  on  the 
other  side  of  Lake  No. 

It  was  on  its  shores  in  this  latitude  that  I  once 
counted  seventy-five  elephants  in  one  evening,  some 
still  bathing  and  drinking  in  the  unreachable  swamp, 
perhaps  not  500  yards  from  the  boat.  Others 
streamed  across  the  vast  expanse — old  bulls  with 
mighty  tusks  gleaming  white  in  the  sun,  cows  with 
their  little  ones  following,  making  lines  of  slow- 
moving  black  objects.  One  strange  effect  is  shown. 
A  far-distant  animal  at  an  instant  expands  to 
double  his  size,  and  shrinks  as  quickly  again  ;  it  is 
not  due  to  exaltation  on  the  part  of  the  observer, 
but  to  the  elephant's  back  being  toward  one,  and 
his  ears  being  occasionally  held  at  right  angles  I 
The  consequent  increase  in  width  is  enormous. 
The  white  skulls  of  elephants  are  sometimes  seen 


204    "  CREWE  JUNCTION  "  OF  THE  NILE 

as  we  pass  the  spots  where  their  owners  have  fallen 
to  somebody's  rifle. 

On  the  ghayassa  we  are  towing  are  some  30  tons  of 
dhurra,  looking  for  all  the  world  like  coarse  gravelly 
sand.  It  is  to  prove  useful  in  getting  into  friendly 
touch  with  the  Nuer  tribes  up  the  river,  who  had 
until  very  recently  declined  to  submit  themselves 
to  Government  rule,  and  had  from  early  days  been 
hostile  and  suspicious  of  Europeans.  There  was 
particular  interest,  therefore,  in  going  among  a 
people  so  fresh  to  intercourse  with  civiUzation. 

In  the  stern  of  the  boat  is  the  little  cockpit 
where  poor  withered  old  JMary  Ann,  stripped  to  the 
waist,  drudges  at  her  patient  slavery.  She  is  cook 
for  the  sailors,  and  was  doubtless  a  slave  in  her 
time.  Bending  on  her  knees,  with  a  flat  stone 
before  her,  spitting  on  her  hands,  she  grinds  the 
moistened  dhurra  on  it  with  a  smaller  stone,  back- 
wards and  forwards,  backwards  and  forwards,  till 
one  wearies  with  the  ceaseless  movement.  Only 
once  does  she  stop,  to  project  overboard  with 
remarkable  accuracy  and  force  a  mouthful  of 
saliva. 

Later  on  she  sits  beside  an  iron  plate,  well 
greased  with  rancid  fat  or  butter,  over  her  wood  fire  ; 
a  gourdful  of  her  porridge-like  flour  is  placed  on 
the  plate,  spread  out  till  it  forms  a  thin  circular 
wafer  some  IG  inches  across,  and  covered  by  a 
basket  it  bakes  quickly  into  the  kisra,  or  unleavened 
bread,  of  the  East.  When  meat  is  on  hand  she 
cooks  stew  in  the  great  iron  pot,  and  her  work  is 


A  MOTLEY  ASSEMBLY  205 

unceasing.  Often  one  wakes  in  the  night  to  hear 
the  familiar  scrub,  scrub,  in  the  darkness — Mary 
Ann  grinding  her  corn  in  the  cool  of  the  night. 

Beside  her  may  be  seen  an  Arab  who  holds  a 
gourd  high  in  the  air,  so  that  whole,  uncrushed 
grain  may  pour  into  his  cooking-pot  for  boiling 
with  soup,  the  wind  carrying  dust  away  in  its  fall. 
This  is  another  method  of  preparing  the  grain  for 
purposes  of  food,  and,  being  a  man,  he  would  starve 
rather  than  do  feminine  work  at  the  grindstone. 

On  the  sandal  was  an  old  Nuer  lady,  who  had 
been  living  in  a  state  of  high  culture  at  Kodok, 
having  learned  to  wear  clothes  as  an  Arab.  She 
was  taking  an  opportunity,  eagerly  sought  after,  of 
visiting  her  relatives  on  the  Zeraf.  By  her  side 
was  a  man  of  ineffable  ugliness,  some  of  his  front- 
teeth  knocked  out  and  others  protruding,  naked 
and  black,  his  tufty  hair  red  with  cowdung  and 
clay,  projecting  backward  and  upward. 

Berberi  and  Sudani  servants,  with  the  amphibious 
bahari  of  the  First  Cataract,  the  tall,  yellow,  and 
slow  Egyptian  soldiers  of  our  escort,  a  Greek 
engineer,  and  the  Englishmen,  made  up  a  Noah's 
Ark  in  the  way  of  mankind. 

Game  is  very  plentiful  here,  but  there  was  little 
opportunity  under  the  circumstances  of  the  journey 
to  bag  any ;  moreover,  there  was  an  unusual 
amount  of  water  in  the  country  for  this  time 
of  year,  which  rendered  it  unnecessary  for  game 
to  come  actually  to  the  river. 

Here  were  the  handsome,  cobby  waterbuck,  with 


206   "  CREWE  JUNCTION  "  OF  THE  NILE 

heads  far  finer  than  I  had  seen  on  the  Binder ; 
one  stood,  unmoved  by  the  sight  of  the  steamer, 
on  an  islet  in  the  midst  of  a  swamp  not  far  from 
the  bank.  Scattered  over  the  grassy  plains  were 
many  of  the  dark-skinned  "  white-eared  cob,"  with 
their  white  patches  on  the  head  and  throat,  and 
hght  bellies.  Their  sober-hued  wives  were  in 
numbers. 

Seizing  an  easy  opportunity  to  land  where  a  cob 
stood  in  a  convenient  position,  and  crouching  as  I 
crept  under  the  cover  of  grass,  I  eventually  peeped 
through  an  opening,  and,  resting  a  moment,  fired 
as  the  animal  prepared  to  move  off.  But  the 
exertion  in  the  full  blaze  of  the  sun  had  made  me 
out  of  breatii,  my  heart  was  beating  quickly,  and 
the  bullet  missed  its  mark.  Instead  of  bolting  full 
tilt,  he  stopped  dead  though  half  covered  with  grass, 
and  the  next  shot  was  successful. 

Not  far  from  this  spot  the  engineer  told  me  in 
his  broken  English  how  a  British  Bimbashi  went 
out  after  a  cob  just  as  I  did,  and  wounded  it 
slightly.  It  went  off  into  long  grass,  the  Bimbashi 
following.  Those  on  board  the  steamer  then  saw 
a  bit  of  by-play  worth  attention.  As  the  Bimbashi 
moved  on,  so  did  another  keen  hunter ;  as  he 
stopped,  so  did  the  other.  A  lion  was  tracking 
the  sportsman  in  turn,  but  the  unsuspecting  man 
fortunately  returned  without  having  been  attacked 
by  his  unseen  antagonist,  innocent  as  he  was  of 
all  knowledge  that  he  had  been  in  danger  from  a 
deadly  enemy,  and  from  the  other  point  of  view 


BIRDS  OF  THE  MARSH  207 

had  lost  a  valuable  trophy !  The  sudden  dash  of 
two  long,  low  animals  from  the  water-side  in  the 
evening  demonstrated  that  walks  abroad  are  liable 
to  be  productive  of  incident. 

Birds  became  more  numerous  than  I  had  noticed 
since  Sennaar  had  been  left,  but  many  familiar 
voices  were  absent.  The  great  saddle-billed  stork 
{Ephipporhyncus  Senegalensis)  walks  in  a  pre- 
occupied way,  searching  for  frogs  and  small  fish  ; 
his  enormous  bill  is  orange,  vermilion,  and  black, 
his  wings  are  sooty,  and  his  breast  white  with  a 
circular  "  pom  "  of  orange  on  it.  In  Uganda  he 
is  prote  cted,  but  here  there  is  less  reason  for 
this  measure,  as  he  is  fairly  plentiful,  and  in- 
habits districts  not  much  visited  by  sportsmen  or 
collectors. 

Black  divers  crowd  a  tree  here  and  there,  drying 
their  wings  in  a  quaint  posture,  for  they  are 
extended  as  if  spatchcocked  or  crucified,  standing 
stiffly  nailed  out.  White  cranes  slip  along  with 
their  serpentine  necks,  their  heads  and  bills  being 
of  no  greater  diameter,  and  the  wee  black  and 
white  kingfisher  hovers  busily,  with  his  head  bent 
down  at  right  angles  to  his  body,  gazing  intently 
and  then  dropping  plumb. 

Old  man  marabouts  still  put  in  an  appearance, 
and  the  harsh  cry  of  the  crested  crane  makes  itself 
heard.  The  straw-coloured  tuft  of  this  bird  with 
the  black  velvet  behind  it  makes  the  distinguishing 
badge  of  one  Sudanese  battalion. 

A  brown  eagle  sits  on  a  tree  by  the  river ;  the 


208  "  CREWE  JUNCTION  "  OF  THE  NILE 

binocular  shows  clearly  his  fierce,  yellow  eye, 
gazing  unbUnkingly  in  the  strong  light,  while  the 
white  head  and  shoulders  of  the  great  fish-eagle 
cause  him  to  be  marked  from  afar.  The  under- 
surface  of  his  feet  are  peculiarly  rough,  resembling 
intensified  sand-paper,  and  thus  are  specially  adapted 
to  the  grasping  of  fish. 

Over  the  trees  to  the  eastward  are  nine  slanting 
projections,  each  topped  by  four  tiny  knobs.  They 
seem  stilted  and  stiff,  and  stand  out  well  defined 
in  the  landscape ;  these  are  giraffe,  which  are  seen 
here  in  plenty. 

Teal  appear  in  great  numbers,  and  form  a 
refreshing  change  of  diet.  The  sand-banks  are 
often  covered  vnth  vast  crowds  of  these  birds 
and  Egyptian  geese  resting  awhile,  showing  a 
forest  of  necks,  all  turned  together  in  the  same 
direction,  as  is  the  manner  of  wild-fowl. 

A  little  mouse-brown  bird  haunts  the  edge  of 
the  rushes ;  it  rises  as  the  steamer  approaches,  and 
appears  transformed  to  a  pure  white  one  as  it  flies 
a  little  way  along,  then  disappears  into  its  un- 
prominent  hue  again  as  it  settles. 

The  forest  where  it  touches  the  winding  river  is 
everywhere  greatly  broken  down  by  elephants ;  a 
walk  through  thick  bush  showed  hundreds  of  acres 
which  had  so  suffered.  No  very  fresh  elephant 
spoor  was  visible,  but  that  of  antelope  and  lion 
was  in  plenty,  and  the  remains  of  a  kill  demon- 
strated the  recent  visit  of  the  latter.  Quite 
recently  I   had  met  an  Austrian   gentleman  who 


TUEES    BKUKKX    ii\     KLKl'HAXTS  :    HEl.AL    AXl)    FAKAGALI.AH. 


NUER    PADUIJNG    CANOE, 


To  face  page  208. 


DINKA  MENDACITY  209 

had  wounded  two  lions  fi-om  his  boat  lower  down 
on  this  river. 

The  Bahr-el-Zeraf  was  closed  to  those  travelling 
under  ordinary  conditions,  owing  to  the  fact  that 
the  Nuers  had  only  recently  been  brought  into 
touch  with  the  Government,  an  important  ex- 
pedition to  the  chief  village  having  just  been 
accomplished.  A  few  specially  favoured  sportsmen 
had  permission  to  go  some  way  up  the  river,  but, 
being  generally  at  the  mercy  of  the  wind,  they  did 
not  get  beyond  the  confines  of  the  great,  treeless, 
open  swamp-land  which  forms  the  middle  section 
of  the  river. 

An  armed  expedition  a  considerable  time  before 
had  had  a  hostile  reception,  but  it  was  without 
doubt  due  to  the  lying  tactics  of  the  irresponsible 
Dinkas  of  the  Khor  Filus,  which  opens  into  the 
Sobat  east  of  the  Zeraf,  who  are  always  on  raiding 
terms  with  their  Nuer  relatives.  They  undoubtedly 
spread  reports  that  the  pacific  expedition  was 
coming  in  reahty  to  eat  the  Nuers  up  ! 

So  the  interesting  and,  parenthetically,  intensely 
trying  journey  into  the  interior  of  swamp-land, 
where  food  and  potable  water  were  scarce  indeed, 
to  the  settlement  which  was  the  common  Mecca 
of  the  Dinkas  and  Nuers,  had  had  important  effects 
in  disarming  suspicion,  which  were  made  apparent 
to  me  very  shortly  afterwards. 

The  Nuers  inhabiting  the  confines  of  the  White 
River  between  the  Sobat  and  Lake  No  had  naturally 
had  some  little  intercourse  with  Europeans.     Even 

14 


210  "  CREWE  JUNCTION  "  OF  THE  NILE 

Werne  in  1840  had  dealings  with  them,  finding 
the  men  very  shy,  however,  in  contradistinction  to 
the  women's  loquacity  ;  but  in  the  heart  of  their 
country,  which  we  had  now  penetrated,  this  had  been 
practically  nil.  The  passage  of  an  irrigation  steamer 
had  generally  been  the  sign  for  the  natives  to  dis- 
appear, and  it  was  some  way  to  the  south,  among 
the  Twi  Dinkas,  that  Mr.  Grogan  had  the  most 
unpleasant  experience  of  his  pioneer  journey  from 
the  Cape  to  Cairo,  his  caravan  being  attacked. 

Small  wonder  that  the  poor  wretches  were 
nervous.  The  whole  history  of  Africa  reeks  with 
blood  and  oppression,  and  these  negroid  tribes  had 
suffered  since  the  birth  of  history  from  the  wickedest 
actions  of  mankind. 

It  is  difficult  to  comprehend  the  scheme  of  life 
which  creates  vast  numbers  of  human  beings  for 
destruction  by  murder.  That  disease  should  come 
fortuitously  to  keep  numbers  in  check  is  within 
human  understanding,  but  not  even  the  doctrine 
of  survival  of  the  fittest  appears  to  entirely  explain 
the  provision  of  a  race  which  has  existed,  not  merely 
for  the  purpose  of  supplying  slaves,  but  apparently 
for  periodically  being  almost  annihilated  by  fellow 
human  beings,  including  each  other. 

It  was  on  the  Zeraf  that  Ali  Wad  Rahma  had 
a  large  slave-station,  and  was  interfered  with  by 
Baker  on  his  memorable  journey  in  1870  and 
onwards,  to  suppress  the  slave  trade  and  annex  the 
Equatorial  Provinces  to  Egypt.  The  slight  emi- 
nence which  was  its  site  is  still  visible. 


BAKER'S  PASSAGE  211 

The  Zeraf  at  this  period  was  a  mass  of  agglomer- 
ated "  sudd  "  in  its  upper  reaches,  and  only  the 
superhuman  exertions  of  Baker  and  his  engineers 
enabled  him  to  cut  a  way  for  his  following  of  1,600 
men  through  the  matted  vegetation  to  the  White 
Nile.  The  site  of  "  Baker's  Passage "  is  still 
known. 


14—2 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  TASK  OF  ADMINISTRATION 

The  executive  government  of  those  parts  of  the 
British  Empire  under  direct  rule  is  held  in  mar- 
vellously few  hands,  and  it  often  happens  that  the 
more  remote  and  dangerous  the  districts,  the  fewer 
seem  to  be  the  men  who  control  and  develop. 

Whole  territories  are  under  the  sway  of  single 
individuals  ;  matters  affecting  great  expanses  and 
thousands  of  people  are  decided  by  solitary  men, 
who  inherently  and  almost  unconsciously  personify 
the  supremacy  of  white  over  black,  and  through 
whom  the  beneficent  influences  of  enlightenment 
spread  to  the  ignorant  masses  they  govern. 

Most  of  their  work  is  done  in  the  darkness  which 
distance  and  official  obligation  impose  ;  the  hard- 
ships they  undergo,  the  dangers  that  threaten,  the 
difficulties  they  conquer,  only  come  to  the  light  of 
publicity  by  some  fortuitous  circumstance,  or  are 
negatively  evidenced  by  a  condition  of  peace  and 
well-being  where  once  was  rebellion  or  anarchy. 
Yet  their  work  goes  silently  onward  ;  it  is  com- 
monly taken  as  just  all  that  should  be  expected, 
and  the  great  British  public  is  too  absorbed  in  its 

212 


THE  BRITISH  ADMINISTRATOR  213 

games  of  football  or  politics  to  concern  itself  much 
with  details  of  the  life  and  tasks  of  its  workers  in 
the  remote  quarters  of  the  Empire.  Justly  appre- 
ciated only  by  the  few  who  have  seen  and  know,  or 
by  those  who  spare  time  to  think  and  realize,  held 
by  comrades  as  those  who,  in  common  with  all  of 
them,  just  do  their  duty,  they  pass  their  lives  in 
strenuous  toil  or  lonely  responsibility,  and  return — 
if  they  ever  return — to  a  mother-land  which  only 
half  knows  what  she  owes  them. 

To  this  the  Sudan  proves  no  exception.  Perhaps 
no  division  of  the  world  possesses  a  greater  propor- 
tion of  men  imbued  with  the  instinct  of  government, 
whose  life  every  day  is  confronted  with  problems  so 
entirely  foreign  to  conditions  arising  at  home,  yet 
whose  adaptability  of  mind  enables  them  to  suit 
actions  to  circumstances,  which  often  are  puzzling, 
and  sometimes  almost  incomprehensible. 

Distances  are  very  great ;  travel  in  the  interior  of  the 
more  remote  districts,  where  trouble  may  most  easily 
occur,  is  difficult ;  and  personal  knowledge  on  the 
part  of  those  who  govern,  or  who  influence  govern- 
ment, is  of  supremest  importance.  Moreover,  it 
cannot  be  too  strongly  urged  that  continuity  of 
general  policy  is  to  be  aimed  at  if  the  greatest 
degree  of  success  is  to  be  attained,  and  to  a  con- 
siderable extent — though  it  is  not  always  possible 
— this  renders  advisable  a  similar  continuity  in 
personnel. 

Probably  this  policy  could  be  carried  out  to  a 
considerably  greater  extent  than  it  is,  but  it  is  to  be 


214     THE  TASK  OF  ADMINISTRATION 

remembered  that  in  a  malarial  climate  it  is  unfair 
to  a  man,  whatever  his  wishes,  to  continue  his 
sojourn  too  long  in  a  country  prejudicial  to  health. 
Yet  it  is  strange  that  a  highly  malarial  country 
provides  the  most  important  exception  to  this  prin- 
ciple— that  of  the  Upper  Nile  province,  which  has 
been  administered  by  one  Governor  for  no  less  a 
period  than  eight  consecutive  years.  It  is  the 
cumulative  effect  of  a  broad  continuity  of  adminis- 
tration, and,  as  far  as  may  be,  the  retention  of 
those  who  direct  it,  or  selection  of  successors  of 
experience  and  sympathy,  which  is  eventually 
bound  to  meet  with  the  greatest  measure  of 
success. 

In  connection  with  this  lies  the  danger  of  over- 
centralization,  and  since  the  construction  of  the 
telegraph-line  the  tendency  has  been  for  this  to 
become  increasingly  possible.  A  competent  ruler 
is  best  left  to  his  own  methods  within  limits  of 
reason,  for  in  all  distant  and  overhead  government 
there  is  a  liability  to  interference  in  detail  which 
diverts  the  energies  and  attention  of  the  responsible 
actor,  who,  after  all,  is  in  the  best  position  to  judge 
facts,  and  is  most  directly  interested  in  the  advance 
of  his  work.  This  has  been  exhibited  times  without 
number  in  past  years  as  between  Downing  Street 
and  our  Colonies,  though  latterly  a  highly  instruc- 
tive example  has  been  afforded  by  the  bowing  of 
the  British  Parliament  to  the  wishes  of  collective 
South  Africa  in  respect  of  the  elimination  of  native 
suffrage — a   provision   not    generally   sympathized 


ELEMENTARY  EDUCATION        215 

with  in  England,  and  in  many  quarters  cordially 
disapproved  of. 

There  is,  of  course,  the  other  side  of  the  shield. 
A  person  intensely  absorbed  in  the  pursuit  of  ideal 
or  the  application  of  a  principle  may  give  insufficient 
weight  to  other  influences,  and  may  be  led  to  lose 
consciousness  of  the  diagonal  of  the  parallelogram 
of  forces.  But  if  this  be  the  case,  he  will  inevitably 
be  faced  with  results  which  cannot  long  be  ignored. 

The  general  principle  in  dealing  with  the  raw 
negroid  races  has  been  firstly  to  get  into  touch 
with  them  along  the  more  easily  accessible  routes, 
to  trade  with  them  in  order  to  demonstrate  honesty 
of  purpose,  to  exhaust  the  resources  of  patience 
and  tact  before  falling  back  on  the  employment  of 
power.  Moral  influence  against  robbery  and  raids 
comes  next,  and  so  long  as  belief  that  a  power  in 
the  background  exists,  it  is  wonderful  what  results 
may  be  attained.  Then  comes  the  matter  of  taxa- 
tion, and  the  trouble  begins,  when  firmness  and 
discretion  are  again  brought  into  play. 

After  all,  the  taming  of  wild  man  runs  on  much 
the  same  lines  as  that  of  wild  horses.  The  horse 
first  has  to  be  caught ;  the  negroid  first  has  to  be 
met  in  the  person  of  the  Chief — not  always  a 
matter  of  ease,  suspicion  and  contemptuous  defiance 
being  not  seldom  exhibited.  The  initial  stages 
of  "breaking" — in  a  philanthropic  sense — may  be 
seen  in  every  variety  in  the  Upper  Nile  province. 
The  saddle  has  been  placed  in  position  in  instances, 
but  it  is  doubtful  whether,  despite  all  the  years 


216   THE  TASK  OF  ADMINISTRATION 

of  sympathetic  tact  and  administrative  ability 
displayed  by  the  administrator,  his  lieutenants, 
and  others,  any  day  may  not  see  it  kicked  off  for 
the  time.  It  would  be  merely  an  incident  in  the 
process  of  regulation,  serious  enough  in  the  case 
of  a  powerful  tribe,  and  disappointing  as  a  break 
in  the  success  of  the  first  principles  of  the  policy 
which  has  been  carried  out  so  remarkably,  and 
with  but  slight  interruption,  for  fully  eight  years. 

Still,  appreciation  of  power  is  the  controlling 
influence  at  the  back  of  every  native  mind,  and  the 
following  words,  WTitten  by  me  of  the  JNIatabele  in 
1895,  apply  with  little  modification  and  with  equal 
strength  to  the  blacks  of  the  Sudan : 

"  It  may  safely  be  said  that,  as  a  native  cannot 
well  appreciate  a  power  of  which  he  has  not  been 
made  practically  aware,  and  that  as  a  general  rule 
the  only  argument  which  he  recognizes  as  satis- 
factory and  finally  convincing  is  '  brute  force,' 
whenever  he  becomes  actively  demonstrative  of  his 
contempt  for  the  power  he  knows  not,  or  for  the 
justice  of  its  rule,  he  should  once  and  for  all,  firmly 
yet  fairly,  be  made  to  thoroughly  appreciate  it  by 
means  of  an  armed  force  sufficiently  strong  to 
render  an  engagement  a  well-assured  victory.  It 
is  surely  wiser  and  kinder,  to  say  nothing  as  to 
cost,  for  any  mistaken  ideas  to  be  dispelled 
promptly  whenever  there  are  signs  that  they  will 
lead  to  trouble,  than  to  let  their  results  develop 
until  they  become  dangerous,  and  maybe  fatal. 

"  The  idea  held  by  humanitarians  in   England, 


TAMING  THE  SAVAGE  217 

that  such  a  people  as  the  Matabele  can,  in  the 
early  days  of  deliverance  from  barbarous  and 
despotic  rule,  be  ruled  entirely  by  loving-kindness, 
or  by  the  slow^  method  of  law^  as  at  home,  and  that 
summary  and  stern  dealing  with  them,  even  under 
the  most  strained  circumstances,  is  reprehensible, 
is  the  idea  of  one  who  sleeps  thousands  of  miles 
away,  undisturbed  by  dreams  of  assault  and  murder 
by  fierce  and  naked  savages,  and  who  is  forgetful 
of  the  fact  that  cruelty  and  savagery  require  in 
justice  the  strong,  resolute  hand.  These  men,  and 
the  methods  of  ruling  them,  are  not  to  be  judged 
from  a  European  standpoint ;  appeal  to  right  and 
justice  would  in  general  be  pure  futility ;  a  nation 
of  butchers,  steeped  for  generations  in  the  blood 
of  their  weaker  brethren,  their  only  master  is  a 
perception  of  moral  and  physical  superiority,  and 
where  this  is  the  case,  humanitarian  principles, 
instead  of  dictating  a  milder  course,  in  reality 
impose  the  sternest  treatment." 

It  is  seldom  in  the  breaking  of  a  broncho  that 
lasso  or  spur  is  not  at  some  stage  required. 
Generally  the  use  of  the  former  is  the  introduc- 
tion to  the  process.  The  Government  of  this 
province  has  gone  much  farther  than  this  in  its 
dealings  with  the  wild  negroid,  and  has  exerted 
remarkable  influence  with  so  small  a  display  of  force 
as  to  be  practically  nothing  at  all. 

The  great  obstacles  encountered  are  the  im- 
passability  of  the  countries,  and  the  difficulty  of 
persuading   the   mass    of    the    natives    of    honest 


218   THE  TASK  OF  ADMINISTRATION 

intentions.  To  the  negroids  the  white  face  of 
to-day  is  the  face  of  the  Turk  or  Egyptian  of 
pre-Mahdi  days,  and  they  argue :  "  Why  should 
the  passing  away  of  the  Mahdi  make  the  camelo- 
pard  change  his  spots  ?"  Following  this  reasoning, 
every  white  man  is  still  called  a  "  Turk."  To  dis- 
abuse them  of  this  impression  has  been  a  first  object. 

It  will  be  seen  how  mischievous  may  be  the 
slightest  mistake  in  policy  or  action,  and  how  small 
a  point  may  be  taken  as  confirmation  of  beliefs, 
with  far-reaching  results.  Add  to  this  the  example 
given  to  riverain  tribes  by  those  resident  in  districts 
inland  which  are  impenetrable  at  present  by  any 
important  armed  force.  The  riverain  black  points 
to  the  fact  that  taxes  are  not  collected  from  his 
neighbours  inland,  and  argues  that  if  the  "  Turk  " 
be  not  strong  enough  to  compel  their  compliance, 
then  why  should  he  pay  his  ?  And,  moreover,  if 
he  be  not  oppressed  by  his  ruler,  until  he  has  felt 
the  strong  hand  he  is  inclined  to  think  that  kindness 
and  persuasion  are  mere  indications  that  government 
is  weak,  and  can  either  be  fooled  or  defied. 

Visits  by  the  chiefs  to  Kodok,  and  even  Khar- 
toum, have  been  encouraged,  but  have  been  rare, 
and  it  is  feared  that  the  travellers  on  their  return 
are  not  always  received  with  credulity.  Probably 
the  more  intelligent  chiefs  and  some  of  the  elder 
men  exhibit  more  comprehension,  but,  as  with  the 
Zulus,  the  young  bloods  often  carry  the  day.  In 
the  case  of  a  successful  visit  to  Machar  Diu,  now 
the  Sheikh  of  Gaweir,  he  was  persuaded  to  assent 


RACE  HATRED  219 

to  return  to  headquarters  with  the  expedition ;  but 
when  a  movement  was  made  to  depart,  he  was 
promptly  surrounded  by  the  young  men,  who 
detained  him  by  force,  fearing  they  never  would 
see  their  virile  leader  again. 

In  many  instances  it  is  observable  that  the 
women  exercise  no  mean  voice  in  affairs,  mostly  in 
favour  of  preserving  the  status  quo,  and  antagonistic 
to  progress. 

The  story  of  the  race  hatred  between  the 
Dinkas  and  Nuers  is  worthy  of  being  recorded. 
Probably  about  the  year  1870  a  Nuer  named 
Amer  fell  out  with  the  rest  of  his  tribe,  and  in 
revenge  enlisted  the  assistance  of  the  slave-raider 
Achmet  Nasser,  whose  memory  is  perpetuated  by 
the  name  of  the  post  which  he  founded  and  retired 
to  on  the  Sobat. 

Amer  guided  the  slavers  to  the  home  of  his  own 
tribe,  with  the  result  that  his  people  disappeared 
from  the  face  of  the  earth,  saving  those  who  were 
taken  as  slaves.  The  party  then  crossed  to  the 
east  bank  of  the  province  of  Gaweir,  which  is  the 
farthest  upstream  Nuer  district  on  the  Zeraf,  and 
marked  the  extreme  limit  of  my  journey.  Amer 
exhibited  all  the  characteristics  of  the  renegade, 
and  excelled  the  Arabs  in  cruelty.  The  people  of 
Gaweir  were  invited  to  a  conference,  enticed  into 
a  zariba,  which  was  set  on  fire,  and  many  perished 
miserably. 

On  Nasser's  retirement   to  the  Sobat,  the  son 
of   Amer    emulated    his    father's   behaviour,    and 


220   THE  TASK  OF  ADMINISTRATION 

attached  himself  to  AH  Wad  Rahma,  whose  dem, 
or  fort,  is  still  visible.  The  Nuers  endeavoured  to 
enlist  the  sympathies  of  the  Khor  Filus  Dinkas 
against  the  slavers,  but  they  were  definitely  refused. 

The  next  event  was  an  expedition  by  Nuer 
Amer  and  the  slavers  to  the  district  of  Lak,  on 
the  White  Nile  side,  which  was  decimated  and 
destroyed ;  and  in  the  course  of  many  raids  on 
Gaweir  a  woman  was  captured  who  was  the 
mother  of  the  late  Sheikh  Diu.  Desperate  feuds 
ensued,  and  eventually  Diu  assumed  the  dual 
personality  called  kugoor,  one  side  of  which  is 
something  external  to  the  human  personality, 
supernatural  and  mystical.  Diu  was  in  reality  the 
name  of  the  mystical  familiar  of  this  Sheikh, 
whose  own  name  (laid  aside)  was  Deng  Lakar. 

The  Arabs  then  succeeded  in  turning  the  in- 
difference of  the  Dinkas  into  active  resistance,  and 
with  Nuer  Amer  once  again  they  succeeded  in 
imposing  the  payment  of  tribute  on  Diu,  who  was 
eventually  pressed  beyond  bounds  of  endurance  on 
a  favourite  black-and-white  bull  being  demanded. 
He  refused,  and,  fruitlessly  appealing  once  more 
to  the  Dinkas,  gathered  his  spearmen  and  irre- 
sistibly drove  the  former  north  to  the  Khor  Filus, 
all  save  a  remnant  of  the  Ol  tribe,  which  fled  to 
the  protection  of  the  Twi  Dinkas  farther  south. 

The  arrival  of  British  power  put  an  end  to 
Arab  interference,  but  the  Ol  and  the  Khor  Filus 
Dinkas  have  consistently  followed  the  cunning, 
thieving   habits   which    their   ancestor   Deng   Dit 


AN  IMPORTANT  EXPEDITION     221 

condemned  them  to.  This  naturally  results  in 
reprisals  being  made  by  the  Nuers,  and  Govern- 
ment has  to  step  in  to  arrange  matters. 

At  the  time  of  my  arrival  on  the  Zeraf,  the  old 
man  Diu  had  just  been  visited  by  the  Governor  and 
his  Inspector,  with  the  smallest  of  following.  There 
is  much  meaning  involved  in  these  words.  Con- 
sistently hostile  as  the  Nuers  had  been,  it  was  of 
immense  importance  from  an  economic,  as  distin- 
guished from  a  political,  standpoint  to  establish 
relations  which  would  insure  safety  for  the  members 
and  work  of  the  Irrigation  Department  and  the 
telegraph-wire  to  the  Southern  Sudan.  The  situa- 
tion might  have  been  met  by  force  of  arms,  the 
employment  of  which  would  have  been  highly  un- 
desirable. Therefore  this  successful  visit  to  Diu, 
the  first  occasion  on  which  he  had  met  his  white 
neighbours,  was  the  vindication  of  a  policy  which 
has  secured  unhindered  opportunity  and  immunity 
from  danger  ever  since.  A  description  of  the 
journey  makes  instructive  reading.  Owing  to  the  un- 
usual quantity  of  water,  it  proved  impossible  to  effect 
a  landing  at  all  at  any  reasonable  distance  up-river  ; 
the  downstream  Sheikhs  pronounced  all  landing- 
places  impossible,  and  the  friendly  Sheikh  Toi  Thif 
was  unable  to  join  the  expedition  at  all.  Returning 
almost  to  the  mouth  of  the  Zeraf,  an  inland  route 
of  the  most  trying  description  was  taken.  True  it 
is  that  ignorance  of  locality  and  apprehension  as 
to  potable  water  add  great  mental  trials  to  the 
severity  of  a   march,  and   the   six   days'  journey 


222   THE  TASK  OF  ADMINISTRATION 

south  to  Luang  Deng,  the  joint  Mecca  of  Nuers 
and  Dinkas,  was  a  vivid  example  of  this. 

Awoi  was  reached  next  afternoon,  after  two 
hours'  struggle  through  mud  ;  and  at  a  morah 
(cattle  kraal),  on  the  eighth  day  from  the  start, 
an  influential  Sheikh,  a  relative  of  Diu,  put  in  an 
appearance.  This  gentleman  had  apparently  been 
sent  to  report  on  the  strangers,  and  affected  an 
attitude  of  scornful  indifference — in  fact,  it  sug- 
gested contempt  for  the  small  party  of  men  who 
presumed  to  enter  the  country  of  Diu.  His  people 
naturally  followed  his  lead,  particularly  as  he  also 
had  the  repute  of  being  kugoor. 

So  the  next  day,  while  sitting  with  Belal,  the 
interpreter,  and  making  belittling  comments  on  the 
"Turks,"  he  was  suddenly  struck  in  the  eye  by 
the  flash  of  intense  light  reflected  from  a  mirror 
held  in  the  hand  of  the  object  of  his  derision.  He 
faltered  and  flinched,  trying  to  show  no  distress  as 
the  brilliancy  blinded  him.  His  disparaging  remarks 
ceased,  and  he  endured  it  as  long  as  he  could  ;  but, 
after  all,  he  was  only  human.  His  head  fell  from 
the  glare,  and,  recovering  himself  after  a  moment, 
he  rushed  up  to  his  tormentor,  sang  and  yelled 
incantations  in  front  of  him,  then  shook  hands  in 
an  ecstasy  of  admiration  and  fervour.  Speaking  in 
Nuer  equivalent,  he  cried  that  the  white  man  had 
proved  himself  greater  kugoor  than  he,  and  that 
surely  he  carried  a  piece  of  his  god  in  his  pocket ! 

Thenceforth,  as  a  matter  of  policy,  he  was  sub- 
mitted to  treatment  similar  to  that  which  he  had 


FIRST  MEETING  WITH  DIU       223 

meted  out  to  the  visitors,  and  was  waved  to  the 
background  as  of  Httle  account.  He  followed  the 
party  with  the  submission  of  a  puppy  chastized,  and 
with  much  loss  of  prestige  in  the  eyes  of  his  people. 

A  party  of  Dinkas  was  passed,  who  called  to  the 
Sudanese  police  not  to  proceed  with  the  "  Turks," 
and  to  let  them  go  forward  alone  to  their  fate ; 
but  loyalty  and  knowledge  prevailed. 

A  grove  of  trees  was  the  mark  to  be  made  for, 
and  the  white  men  strode  forward  alone.  A  sound 
of  voices  in  unison  fell  on  the  air,  firstly  a  phrase  in 
the  shrillest  falsetto,  then  the  deep  chant  of  bass 
voices.  It  was  the  war-song  of  the  Nuers,  and 
as  distance  decreased  the  volume  of  sound  was 
enhanced,  the  savage  voices  bursting  in  full  force 
on  their  ears  when  they  had  traversed  the  belt  of 
finely-grown  trees  and  saw  masses  of  fully-armed 
warriors  at  rest  round  a  pool.  The  sight  was 
impressive,  but  Diu  was  not  there.  With  native 
suspicion,  he  awaited  the  report  of  his  deputies. 
The  spot  was  quite  charming  and  picturesque,  well 
shaded,  and  cool  to  the  jaded  travellers,  and  the 
arrival  of  the  Sheikh,  attended  by  numerous  nymphs, 
was  almost  dramatic.  The  arrangement  was  peculiar, 
for  during  the  interviews,  which  spread  over  two 
days,  he  was  backed  by  a  semicircle  of  women,  the 
explanation  of  this,  perhaps,  being  that  he  was  thus 
protected  from  eavesdropping  on  the  part  of  the 
men  of  the  tribe.  The  disposition  shown  was  quite 
friendly  on  the  pacific  intentions  of  Government 
being  made  known. 


224    THE  TASK  OF  ADMINISTRATION 

The  return  journey  by  Duk,  the  headquarters  of 
Diu,  twenty-five  miles  from  Awoi,  through  almost 
unexplored  country  north-east  to  the  upper  reaches 
of  the  Khor  Filus,  was  safely  negotiated,  and 
civiUzation  was  once  again  reached  after  a  journey 
of  270  miles  and  an  absence  of  twenty-one  days. 

On  a  second  journey,  subsequent  to  my  visit, 
Diu  having  died  in  the  meantime,  and  his  son  Woll 
at  first  succeeding  him,  the  new  chief  was  success- 
fully persuaded  to  visit  Khartoum  ;  and  on  the 
return  of  the  party  it  was  found  advisable  to  settle 
some  trouble  which  had  arisen  between  IMachar 
Diu  and  Lyam  Tu  Tiang,  then  Sheikh  of  the  neigh- 
bouring province  of  Lau.  The  latter  was  therefore 
summoned  to  meet  the  representatives  of  Govern- 
ment, for  the  dispute  to  be  arranged  face  to  face 
with  Machar,  who  already  had  assumed  paramount 
influence.  This  was  highly  unpopular  with  Lyam 
Tu  Tiang,  who  valued  his  life,  and  thought  it  ran 
risk  of  a  quick  termination  if  he  placed  himself  in 
the  hands  of  his  neighbour.  He  reluctantly  came, 
bringing  twenty  men  with  him  ;  the  case  was  duly 
decided,  and  the  arrangement  agreed  to  by  both. 
The  Gaweir  natives  then  became  excited,  and 
ominous  movements  took  place  ;  so,  to  ease  the 
situation  and  divert  attention,  a  war-dance  was 
suggested.  But  the  dance  added  fuel  to  fire. 
A  boy  came  to  say  that  Machar  Diu  would  kill 
Lyam  Tu  Tiang  and  his  people,  who  in  despair 
adopted  the  attitude  customary  when  all  hope  has 
gone — squatting  down,  with  their  spears  thrust  in 


AN  ADVENTUROUS  JOURNEY     225 

the  ground  between  their  knees,  and  shaking  their 
hands  and  arms  up  and  down. 

Fortunately,  Machar  Diu  came  to  the  rescue  on 
being  appealed  to,  a  bull  was  presented,  and  the 
Sheikhs  shook  hands  with  each  other  in  their  native 
fashion.  Opportunely,  a  heavy  rainstorm  came  on, 
and  the  dislike  of  the  unclothed  savage  for  this  form 
of  water  caused  them  to  run  helter-skelter  for  cover. 

That  night  was  an  anxious  one.  Time  after  time 
in  the  darkness  the  weird  war-song  approached 
from  afar,  as  fresh  parties  of  Nuers  came  in  to  take 
part.  The  temper  of  all  was  uncertain,  and  hostile 
counsels  might  have  prevailed.  Lyam  Tu  Tiang 
having  come  in  under  Government  protection,  any 
accident  to  him  or  his  men  would  have  been  con- 
sidered a  breach  of  faith,  with  bad  results  in  regard 
to  the  people  of  Lau.  Fortunately,  a  pacific  attitude 
prevailed  in  the  morning,  and  both  Lyam  Tu  Tiang 
and  the  expedition  returned  safely  home. 

A  further  journey  was  even  more  fruitful  in 
excitement.  Woll  was  a  fine  physical  specimen, 
but  his  character  lacked  firmness,  which  was  amply 
supplied  in  the  case  of  his  brother,  Machar  Diu, 
who,  described  by  the  Governor  as  a  most  difificult 
savage,  became  chief  in  practice  if  not  in  name. 
Machar  Diu,  possessing  less  worldly  knowledge  than 
his  father,  but  considerable  intelligence,  scouted  the 
idea  of  interference  by  the  "  Turks "  when  the 
mission  to  him  was  conceived.  The  two  representa- 
tives of  Government,  at  first  travelling  separately, 
and  accompanied  in  all  by  six  Sudanese  soldiers, 

15 


226   THE  TASK  OF  ADMINISTRATION 

landed  at  Kodni,  where  I  had  once  gone  ashore,  and 
marched  inland.  The  matter  to  be  settled  was  the 
old  story.  The  Ol  Dinkas,  from  their  asylum 
amongst  the  Twis,  had  raided  Gaweir  and  carried 
off  cattle — an  insult  the  proud  JMachar  declined  to 
undergo  tamely.  With  a  party  of  twenty  men 
only,  he  entered  Twi  country,  burnt  a  village,  and 
killed  several  men,  retiring  then  to  Gaweir. 

It  became  evident  in  the  early  days  of  the  journey, 
that,  while  old  Diu  had  been  impressed  by  the 
previous  visit,  his  people  had  not.  Messages  came 
from  Machar  Diu,  describing  in  harrowing  detail 
the  methods  he  intended  to  adopt  when  he  had 
the  white  men  in  his  power.  "  My  men  ^vill  arrive 
casually,  in  parties  of  two  or  three,  until  there  are 
sufficient  to  surround  and  rush  you."  This  promised 
an  interesting  situation,  but  there  could  be  no 
drawing  back. 

On  arrival,  the  Gaweir  Nuers  commenced  to  put 
in  an  appearance  in  precisely  the  manner  fore- 
warned by  Machar,  but  increasing  in  numbers,  so 
that  by  the  time  the  Sheikh  appeared  on  the  scene 
there  were  fully  400  armed  men  in  evidence,  sur- 
rounding the  party.  The  Governor  intimated  that 
an  essential  preliminary  to  parley  was  that  all  of 
the  Nuers  should  be  ranged  in  a  semicircle  fronting 
him,  which  was  immediately  acceded  to. 

The  day  brought  a  turn  for  the  better,  and,  after 
hours  of  discussion  and  argument,  Machar  Diu  was 
prevailed  on  to  pay  "  blood-fines  "  for  the  killing  of 
the  Dinkas,  preferring  to  give  250  pounds  of  ivory  in 


THE  SPADE-WORK  OF  YEARS     227 

place  of  the  sixty  cattle  demanded,  and  fairly  cheer- 
fully contributing  six  head  of  cattle  as  tax.  This 
was  naturally  considered  a  most  satisfactory  out- 
come of  the  policy  adopted. 

Machar  Diu  proved  to  be  a  young  man,  violently 
opposed  to  any  control  by  the  Government,  although 
personally  showing  good-will  to  his  visitors.  He 
was  keen  and  straightforward  and  showed  no  deceit, 
was  intellectually  far  superior  to  his  brethren,  virile 
as  a  fighting  man,  and  capable  of  arguing  soundly 
from  an  intelhgent  basis.  Once  convinced  of  the 
power  of  Government,  and  confidential  relations 
established,  he  might  be  a  powerful  instrument  for 
good  ;  but  such  a  consummation  is  by  no  means 
assured. 

Enough  has  been  said  to  demonstrate  the  diffi- 
culties encountered  in  attempting  to  administer 
such  countries  as  these,  and  it  cannot  with  any 
certainty  be  judged  when  the  limit  of  pacific  policy 
may  not  be  reached.  Even  of  late  the  Khor  Filus 
Dinkas  have  had  to  receive  their  first  lesson  by 
force,  and  the  turn  of  Shilluks  and  Nuers  might 
easily  come. 

To  the  authors  of  this  policy  this  would  be  a  sad 
day ;  if  they  regard  it  in  too  circumscribed  a  light, 
their  work  of  years  might  seem  to  be  lost.  In 
reality  this  is  not  so,  for  it  is  merely  the  comple- 
mentary side  of  the  system — the  demonstration  of 
strength  behind  kindness.  The  spade-work  of  years 
may  show  little  apparent  result,  but,  still,  it  is  there, 
and  the  hardest  part  of  a  nut  is  the  shell. 

15—2 


CHAPTER  XII 

WHERE  LIVES  PRIMITIVE  MAN 

Here  and  there  we  had  seen  small  parties  of  men 
making  their  way  along  the  river-banks,  enormously 
tall  and  stark-naked.  Our  Nuer  passengers  began  to 
evince  great  interest,  and  conversations  at  the  top 
of  their  voices  were  frequent.  Then  three  or  four 
ebony  figures  would  be  seen  hiding  shyly  behind 
an  ant-hill  in  the  long  grass  ;  their  rahats  of  shredded 
palm-leaf  proclaimed  all  but  one  to  be  married 
women,  and  when  they  perceived  that  the  steamer 
had  actually  passed,  the  well-known  characteristic 
prevailed  over  fear,  and  they  mounted  the  ant-hill 
the  better  to  see,  and  to  give  us  the  opportunity  of 
appreciating — Eve  1 

Owing  to  the  heavy  barges  we  were  towing, 
progress  had  been  very  slow,  and  we  had  not  made 
the  way  we  expected.  The  spot  where  it  had  been 
decided  to  cut  wood  was  still  some  distance  away, 
and  a  stop  had  to  be  made  at  a  place  short  of  it. 
The  felhng  of  timber  and  taking  it  on  board  took 
the  whole  of  one  day,  the  powerful  Egyptian 
artillerymen  working  like  slaves  for  the  small  extra 

228 


THE  WILY  WATERBUCK  229 

pay  which  they  receive  for  this  work.  They  are 
fine,  big,  powerful  men,  these  conscripts,  good- 
natured  and  good-looking  fellows,  who  could  have 
escaped  their  term  of  military  service  in  a  climate 
so  prejudicial  to  them  by  a  payment  of  £20. 

In  the  morning  we  were  charging  the  bank  through 
a  belt  of  long  reeds  to  find  a  landing-place  by  the 
wood,  when  a  confiding  waterbuck  was  seen  within 
a  few  yards,  quite  unscared  by  the  ship.  Meat  was 
wanted  for  the  men,  and  my  companion  determined 
to  shoot  it.  It  moved  on  to  a  place  where  the 
forest  was  dense,  and,  firing  somewhat  by  guess- 
work, it  fell  to  him  at  a  distance  of  about 
20  yards.  Walking  up  to  the  animal,  he  sent 
back  for  a  knife  to  bleed  it,  and  for  some  minutes 
it  lay  apparently  dead,  waited  until  the  hunter 
had  turned  his  back,  then  rose  to  its  feet  and 
departed. 

Such  lack  of  straightforwardness  constituted 
nothing  short  of  a  scandal,  and  a  chase  was  the 
only  possible  course  to  pursue.  However,  the  gods 
were  in  arms  for  the  protection  of  the  buck,  and 
presented  themselves  in  the  form  of  a  huge  serpent, 
lying  directly  in  the  path.  It  was  a  vile,  filthy 
beast,  dull  fleshy  red  in  colour,  and  as  thick  as  the 
arm.  Returning  with  the  shot-gun,  it  was  found 
that  the  serpent  had  saved  itself  by  disappearing, 
and  incidentally  rescued  the  waterbuck,  for  he 
had  got  clear  away  in  the  interval.  As  a  rule, 
snakes  will  make  off  if  disturbed  at  not  too  close 
quarters,  unless  their  refuges  be  on  the  other  side 


230     WHERE  LIVES  PRIMITIVE  MAN 

of  the  observer.  Two  pythons  killed  at  Mongalla 
by  a  friend  were  20  feet  long. 

This  was  not  the  only  despitefulness  exhibited 
by  the  gods  of  this  district.  The  most  interesting 
and  saddening  fact  revealed  itself,  that  not  half  an 
hour  before  our  arrival,  perhaps  scared  away  by  our 
noise,  the  whole  river -bank  had  swarmed  with 
elephants.  Their  dung  was  still  steaming  and 
their  spoor  covered  acres,  while  the  fresh-broken 
trees  evidenced  their  destructiveness  over  a  large 
area.  One  cannot  resist  the  impression  that  great 
numbers  of  elephants  still  exist  in  the  Sudan,  unless 
their  extreme  mobility  conduce  to  an  exaggerated 
appearance  of  numbers.  Who  can  wish  this  con- 
dition to  alter  ?  and  who  can  repress  feelings  of 
indignation  that  slackness  of  rule,  resulting  from 
loss  of  interest  on  the  part  of  the  Congo  State, 
should  have  permitted  the  wholesale  destruction  of 
these  noble  beasts  in  the  Lado  Enclave  near  the 
termination  of  the  Belgian  occupation  ? 

The  charm  of  travel  through  this  country  is  to 
see  its  wild  creatures  wandering  at  will,  untram- 
melled by  fences,  bars,  limits,  or  keepers,  over  vast 
tracts  of  grassland  or  through  the  dense  forest. 
Even  as  our  steamer  gyrated  in  the  morning  in  our 
efforts  to  effect  a  landing,  a  great,  tawny  giraffe 
stopped  in  his  lurching  walk,  and,  turning  his 
"  Eiffel  Tower  "  of  a  neck  in  our  direction,  calmly 
surveyed  the  whirligig  beast  on  the  river. 

The  slow  steadiness  of  the  progress  of  these 
animals  across  the  plains,  prominent  as  they  are 


THE  GREAT  SWAMPY  PLAIN      231 

even  in  the  far  distance,  resembles  the  persistent 
advance  of  the  tortoise.  DeHberation  is  eminently 
their  characteristic  when  undisturbed,  aided  in  its 
effect  by  their  great  dimensions. 

Two  days  up  the  river  the  vicious  seroot  flies 
swarmed  to  an  extent  almost  unbearable  ;  their 
presence  or  absence  seemed  to  be  dependent  on  no 
particular  condition,  except,  perhaps,  the  proximity 
of  bush,  and  they  are  never  seen  north  of  Gebel 
Ein,  238  miles  south  of  Khartoum,  in  the  dry 
season. 

We  had  expected  to  see  much  game  up  the 
river,  but  were  disappointed.  The  unusual  quantity 
of  water  in  the  district  for  so  late  a  date  made  it 
possible  for  refreshment  to  be  obtained  in  many 
places  away  from  the  river  ;  but,  as  "  hope  springeth 
eternal  in  the  human  breast,"  we  trusted  to  its 
making  appearance  on  the  other  side  of  the  great 
swampy  plain  of  the  middle  Zeraf.  Here  only  two 
specimens  were  seen  the  entire  day,  both  poor 
samples  of  waterbuck.  On  the  western  bank,  where 
a  few  poor  deleb  palms  eked  out  a  miserable  exist- 
ence with  a  little  straggling  undergrowth,  my  com- 
panion had  wounded  a  lion  at  the  water's  edge, 
but  he  unfortunately  got  away. 

In  talking  imperfect,  halting  Arabic  in  the 
presence  of  any  of  one's  own  countrymen  who  are 
entirely  unacquainted  with  the  language,  a  very 
wrong  impression  may  easily  be  gained  by  them. 
To  instruct  the  pilot  to  go  "  straight  ahead, 
O  pilot,"  astonishingly  resembles  an  objurgation  in 


232     WHERE  LIVES  PRIMITIVE  MAN 

respect  of  his  eyes  ;  while  having  most  reprehensibly 
let  slip  a  short  pregnant  word  beginning  with  d 
on  realizing  that  a  shot  had  gone  wide,  your  shikari 
wiU  hasten  to  assure  you  that  you  are  mistaken, 
and  there  is  no  "  blood." 

A  Nuer  sent  with  a  message  to  a  viUage  one 
night  reported  that  on  the  way  he  had  seen  the 
fresh  spoor  of  a  big  lion,  but  the  latter  took  care 
to  steer  clear  of  the  boat. 

Palms  now  began  to  show  in  the  distance,  and 
great  was  our  delight  at  the  thought  of  getting 
away  from  the  dreary  monotony  of  the  swamp. 
We  headed  for  a  long  line  of  palms  stretching  in 
from  the  west,  and  made  meandering  progress  to- 
wards them  for  considerable  time.  But  the  river 
was  also  in  league  with  the  gods  of  the  country, 
and,  when  within  a  short  distance,  one  big  bend  of 
the  stream  took  us  definitely  away  from  the  trees. 
Native  tulds  were  now  seen  in  plenty,  jutting  up 
against  the  horizon,  four  or  five  miles  away  ft-om  the 
river,  which  in  the  past  had  been  the  highway  of 
the  Arabs  who  raided  and  enslaved  their  owners. 

But  before  this  appearance  of  human  habitation, 
one  of  the  strange  mysteries  of  the  country  had 
light  thrown  upon  it.  Often  had  one  asked,  when 
the  eye  rested  on  thousands  of  cranes,  egrets,  ibis, 
divers,  and  the  multitudinous  varieties  of  water- 
birds,  Where  do  these  birds  nest,  or  those  of  them 
who  do  not  migrate  for  the  purpose  ?  The  answer 
here  was  forthcoming  in  parts  of  the  great  sodden 
plain.     At  a  distance  from  the  stream,  in  bogland 


THE  BIRDS'  SANCTUARY  233 

impassable,  was  a  line  of  trees,  thick-growing,  but 
thin  and  spare  individually.  Their  boughs  seemed 
interlaced,  so  dense  was  the  growth,  and  the  length 
of  the  grove  was  about  300  yards.  The  trees 
appeared  to  be  standing  in  water,  through  which 
reedy  grass  rose  in  tufts. 

At  a  distance  it  was  speckled  with  pure  white, 
grey,  and  black  spots,  which  a  closer  acquaintance 
resolved  into  myriads  of  birds  roosting  or  sitting 
on  nests  in  the  trees. 

Thick  as  peas,  it  might  have  been  expected  that 
pandemonium  would  have  existed,  but  it  was  far 
otherwise.  All  seemed  to  have  settled  down  in 
mutual  harmony,  secure  against  every  enemy  except, 
doubtless,  the  snake.  Great  white  birds  rested  in 
peace  with  black  divers  (there  is  no  colour  anti- 
pathy here  !) ;  grey  ones  and  piebald  intermingled  at 
ease.  Some  waded  below,  and  from  far  over  the 
marsh  sailed  others  in  quest  of  the  room  which  it 
seemed  hopeless  to  find.  More  than  one  of  these 
rookeries  were  passed,  and  it  is  a  misfortune  that 
the  damp  heat  of  the  climate  so  damaged  the  films 
in  the  sanduk  iswid  that  photographs  resulted  in 
failure. 

Once  again,  as  we  twasted  and  turned,  sometimes 
almost  completing  a  circle,  a  long  stretch  of  palm- 
trees  reached  out  into  the  swamp.  In  amongst 
them  were  huts,  becoming  quite  numerous,  and 
extending  almost  down  to  the  river,  showing  a 
confidence  which  would  have  been  rudely  shaken 
in  the  slave-raiding  days.     It  was  pleasant  to  note 


234     WHERE  LIVES  PRIMITIVE  MAN 

that  a  sense  of  security  was  growing  up  amongst 
the  people. 

In  mad  haste  in  our  path,  paddHng  his  pahn- 
trunk  canoe  for  dear  hfe,  was  a  Nuer  of  splendid 
proportions.  He  was  endeavouring  to  reach  his 
village  before  being  overtaken,  but  for  this  he 
could  not  hope,  with  all  his  skill.  The  wash  of 
the  steamer  in  narrow  waters  was  naturally  a 
matter  of  concern  to  the  occupant  of  so  easily 
capsized  a  craft.  The  Nuers  on  board  got  some- 
what excited,  as  was  also  invariably  the  case  when 
figures  appeared  on  ant-hills,  roof-tops,  or  trees,  for 
the  purpose  of  viewing  us.  The  boatman,  hugging 
the  bank,  was  soon  relieved  of  anxiety,  and  carried 
a  message  ashore  to  his  friends. 

Judging  again  from  primitive  man  as  he  appears 
to-day.  Eve  told  Adam  just  the  things  she  ought 
not  to  have  told  him,  and  omitted  some  most 
necessary  instructions  as  to  how  to  behave  before 
ladies,  leaving  gentlemen  out  of  the  question. 
Mary  Jane  of  the  sandal,  as  distinguished  (mainly 
by  a  filthy  shirt)  from  Mary  Ann  of  the  ghayassa, 
had  occasion,  as  a  somewhat  later  product  of 
human  development,  to  protest  energetically  from 
her  kitchen  on  one  side  of  the  stern  to  Adam 
alongside  her. 

The  level  of  the  unconscious  brute  is  reached 
farther  south,  and  is  even  to  be  seen  among  Nuers, 
where  natural  functions  are  performed  without 
notice  or  movement,  or  interruption  of  occupation 
or  conversation. 


GROl'P    OF    XdEllS. 


-MAKY    JAXK    AND    lIKlt     KITCHEX. 


To  face  page  234. 


HIPPOPOTAMI  AT  HOME         235 

Here  on  board  we  saw  Adam  with  his  first 
looking-glass — the  ingenu,  the  primeval,  the  crude 
and  unsophisticated  !  All  emotions  were  exhibited 
with  the  frank  delight  of  a  maiden  at  her  first  ball, 
and  face,  attitudes,  and  ejaculations,  demonstrated 
astonishment  and  intense  self-admiration  on  the 
part  of  a  veritable  Caliban  among  Nuers.  A 
negro  in  front  of  him,  barbarian  enough  in  English 
eyes,  devoted  himself,  as  an  unparalleled  amuse- 
ment and  recreation,  to  the  instruction  of  the  less 
tutored  savage.  His  superiority  was  enormous,  his 
delight  and  self-conceit  unbounded  ;  laughing  at  the 
pleasure  of  the  Nuer  as  he  scrutinized  the  reflection 
of  his  somewhat  aquiline  features,  he  rolled  over 
with  unrestrainable  merriment  when  Adam,  on 
turning  to  the  other  side  of  the  looking-glass  and 
expecting  to  see  his  own  back,  looked  blank  with 
amazed  disappointment. 

For  harmless  occupation  and  amusement,  in- 
volving no  danger  to  either  party  save  in  the  highly 
unlikely  event  of  success,  recreation  may  take  the 
form  of  chasing  hippopotami  in  a  steamer,  always 
providing  that  the  hippo  take  the  course  which 
the  steamer  would  have  pursued  were  it  absent. 
Narrow  though  the  river  be,  it  has  on  either  side 
of  it  grass  ramparts  which  grow  in  deep  water. 
Among  these  coarse  grass-stems  the  hippos  form 
their  tunnel-like  retreats,  and  the  rush  for  these 
disturbs  the  water  so  much  that  their  course  may 
often  be  easily  observed.  Their  great  heads  are  all 
that  is  seen  on  first  meeting,  or,  in  shallow  water, 


236     WHERE  LIVES  PRIMITIVE  MAN 

their  huge,  ungainly  bodies.  They  suddenly  awake 
to  the  monster  coming  down  on  them — a  rush,  a 
roll,  a  plunge,  and  the  water  swirls  over  them.  A 
second  later,  and  a  black  head  rises  once  more,  a 
fountain  of  spray  may  appear  as  the  animal  blows, 
and  he  makes  tracks  below  the  surface  once  more 
for  his  secure  hiding-place  among  the  lower  stems 
of  the  rank  green  grass,  in  places  where  the  swamp 
is  wide  and  provides  a  retreat  impassable  for  other 
creatures.  Now  and  again  a  laugh  is  raised  by  the 
grotesque,  pinkish  babies  recumbent  on  the  half- 
submerged  backs  of  their  ungainly  mothers. 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  period  of  the  day 
comes  in  the  evening,  when  the  boat  is  at  rest  and 
the  fierce  light  gives  way  to  the  deep-toned,  fast- 
darkening  twilight.  There  is  a  feeling  of  restlessness 
everywhere  around,  for  the  air  is  so  still  and  quiet 
that  one  hears  all  the  minutiae  of  sound.  Small 
fish  rise,  rippling  the  water,  and  a  slight  rustling  of 
bush  a  distance  away  betokens  some  creature  pros- 
pecting for  the  evening  drink.  A  flight  of  teal 
whistles  busily  up-river,  making  a  sudden  sharp 
sweep  away  to  avoid  the  but  just  perceived  boat. 
The  hawks  and  buzzards  have  gone  to  rest,  and 
duck  and  geese  are  on  the  move  from  feeding- 
places  to  their  chosen  dormitories.  The  human 
watcher  lazily  speculates,  as  he  hears  a  murmur 
arise  by  degrees  into  a  high-pitched,  contumous 
biz-z-z-z,  which  will  soon  drive  him  to  shelter,  on 
their  reason  for  moving,  when  one  place  so  greatly 
resembles  another. 


THE  INSECTS'  ASSAULT  237 

A  tiny,  semi-invisible  object  silently  sweeps  up 
on  the  breeze  ;  it  is  followed  by  others,  who  become 
multitudinous,  filling  the  air  over  the  river  with  a 
mysterious  maze  of  swift-moving  shades.  Myriads 
of  bats  glide  flutteringly  upstream,  as  if  impelled 
by  a  single  unseen  power,  until  darkness  hides 
them. 

Then  come  tiny  specks  of  light  swinging  across 
the  water,  chasing  sparks  from  the  funnel  as  if  to 
find  unknown  brethren,  and  mingling,  separating, 
winding  amongst  each  other  in  an  interminable, 
dazing  confusion.  It  is  the  fireflies'  dance,  seen  at 
its  best  in  the  drear  wastes  of  the  Mountain  Nile 
"  sudd,"  where  they  are  the  only  creatures  that 
show  joy  in  life. 

The  difficulties  of  writing  are  considerable,  for 
the  insect  world  is  malicious,  much  occupied,  and 
entirely  selfish.  Ants  galore  career  over  the  table 
and  explore  the  interior  of  one's  shirt ;  mosquitoes 
parade,  and  cause  one  to  follow  their  movements 
with  animated  interest ;  winged  ants  rush  every- 
where in  great  haste  ;  hard,  armoured  beetles  dash 
unavailingly  against  the  wire  netting,  and  lie 
sprawling  outside  ;  grasshoppers  and  crickets  jump 
in  every  direction  but  the  one  they  are  facing  ; 
and  even  a  grass  mantis  has  become  excited  and 
dashes  hither  and  thither,  differing  from  his  South 
African  brother  by  a  greater  length  of  wing 
and  celerity  of  movement.  The  rest  are  too 
numerous  and  too  impatient  and  restless  to 
mention. 


238     WHERE  LIVES  PRIMITIVE  MAN 

When  all  is  quiet,  and  even  Mary  Ann  is  too 
sound  asleep  to  snore,  a  sound  of  mighty  wings 
comes  up  the  river ;  the  slow,  measured  swish 
caused  by  unseen  aerial  travellers  beats  crescendo 
overhead  till  they  pass  away  in  the  mirk. 

The  deep,  restful  silence — for  to  our  ears  the 
minor  sounds  become  accustomed — is  rudely  broken ; 
we  are  reminded  that  the  night  has  its  uses  which 
are  not  for  men,  and  for  the  greater  part  of  the 
time  of  darkness  we  are  treated  to  a  concert  almost 
unimaginable  in  its  weirdness. 

The  voices  range  from  the  deepest  bass  of  the 
hippo  to  the  shrillest  treble  of  the  crickets  or  bell- 
frogs  ;  the  mosquito  millions  are  ceaseless  in  their 
note  as  the  sustained  drone  of  the  bagpipes.  Froggy 
comes  in  with  varied  song  in  varied  tempi,  hoarse, 
deep-throated,  while  an  occasional  night-bird,  care- 
less of  discord,  sometimes  drops  in  a  wild,  harsh 
note.  Truly  the  "  Ode  to  Discord "  might  well 
have  been  inspired  here. 

The  "  stars  "  indeed  are  the  hippos,  and  the  first 
one  speaks  from  not  20  yards  away,  for  we  are  tied 
up  at  his  favourite  meshra,  or  landing-place,  plainly 
marked  by  the  passage  through  the  reeds  and  the 
deep-trodden  track.  On  the  left  bank  just  here, 
on  both  banks  in  many  places,  they  generally  lie  in 
the  reedy  grass  during  the  day,  when  not  basking 
in  the  shallows,  and  venture  into  the  open  river  and 
on  to  their  graizing-places  at  night.  Behemoth 
emerges  from  his  reedy  cave  and  uplifts  his  head 
from  the  water  :  he  takes  an  enormous  breath,  with 


BEHEMOTH'S  SONG  289 

the  sound  of  bubbling  wind  freed  of  a  sudden,  and 
rushing  through  a  tunnel.  Confronted  by  the 
strange  invader  of  his  midnight  haunts,  he  promptly 
seeks  the  cover  of  the  water,  only  to  rise  again  a 
short,  or  even  shorter,  distance  away. 

Then  comes  the  song.  The  first  note  may  either 
resemble  the  bellow  of  a  mighty  bull  or  that  of  an 
inordinate  ass ;  the  second,  and  those  that  come 
after  it,  deteriorate  sadly  into  the  inbreathed  snort- 
ing of  an  ill-humoured  and  deep-toned  pig,  full  of 
annoyed  yet  foiled  defiance.  A  hundred  yards 
away  one  answers  to  the  call ;  his  neighbour 
opposite  replies,  and  the  distance  takes  up  an 
echoing  challenge,  which  may  well,  as  it  seems 
to  the  observer,  reverberate  by  its  repetition  the 
whole  length  of  the  river.  There  is  a  vastness  in 
this  animal,  relic  as  it  is  of  days  when  the  animal 
world  indeed  was  vast,  which  enforces  respect,  and 
only  becomes  ridiculous  when  it  scurries  away 
from  its  human  enemy  in  undignified  haste. 
The  dread  "  dun  cow "  killed  by  Guy,  Earl  of 
Warwick,  the  head  of  which  was  dragged  in  by 
his  men,  was  forcibly  brought  to  mind  by  the 
picture  of  my  Arabs  on  the  Dinder  hauling 
triumphantly  into  camp  the  gi'otesque  head  of 
the  hippo. 

Now,  about  150  miles  up  the  Zeraf,  it  became 
more  of  a  matter  of  interest  to  get  into  touch  with 
the  people.  It  had  been  reported  that  dhurra  was 
extraordinarily  scarce,  and  that  famine  was  immi- 
nent, so  that   a   test  of  the   facts  was   desirable. 


240     WHERE  LIVES  PRIMITIVE  MAN 

Following  the  wise  principle  of  not  pauperizing  the 
people  by  gifts,  the  method  was  adopted  of  barter- 
ing dhurra  for  oxen,  of  which  there  were  plenty. 
Many  a  time  in  America  an  invisible  "  city "  is 
reached,  marked  on  the  railway-line  by  a  name-plate, 
but  with  no  house  to  be  seen.  Much  the  same  was 
the  circumstance  here  :  after  a  short  stay  at  Ajiung, 
our  farthest  point,  144  miles  from  the  mouth,  Kodni 
was  halted  at,  probably  the  first  visit  of  white  men 
in  its  history.  There  was  naught  on  the  bank  to 
evince  it,  not  even  the  American  name-plate.  But 
its  rights  to  an  individual  designation  were  proved 
on  inspection  of  the  horizon,  where  some  twenty  or 
thirty  huts,  scattered  widely  over  the  country,  gave 
more  title  to  the  description  of  "  city  "  than  the 
American  example. 

So  recently  had  any  kind  of  relations  been  estab- 
lished between  Government  and  the  important 
chief  Diu  —  already  referred  to  in  the  previous 
chapter  as  the  Sheikh  of  Gaweir — that  some  interest 
was  felt  in  the  disposition  of  folk  toward  the  white 
men  in  this  more  remote  section  of  country.  But 
the  fact  was  well  known,  though  so  recent,  and 
touch  was  immediately,  if  not  freely,  affected.  I 
noticed  a  distinct  difference  in  type  and  manner 
between  these  people  and  those  lower  down. 
They  were  generally  shyer  and  surly,  and  did  not 
respond  in  the  manner  which  was  exhibited  below. 
The  type  of  countenance  was  not  so  open,  and  the 
general  disposition  less  agreeable.  This  was  the 
first  time  they  had  been  visited  since  the  old  slave- 


TRADING  AT  KODNI  241 

raiding  days,  and  hence  their  timidity,  but  it  does 
not  account  for  their  character. 

Between  the  river  and  village  stretched  a  couple 
of  miles  of  lowland,  intersected  with  swamp  every 
few  yards.  Messengers  were  sent  out  to  spread  the 
news  of  our  coming,  and  all  we  could  do  was  to 
wait  the  result.  One  or  two  men  eventually  turned 
up,  picking  their  way  in  a  gingerly  fashion,  and 
were  informed  that  we  would  exchange  dhurra  for 
oxen.  A  few  more  joined  their  comrades,  one  of 
exceptional  physique,  and  eventually  some  oxen 
could  be  seen  in  the  distance  threading  their  way 
by  the  track  through  the  slough,  and  oftentimes 
sinking  from  sight  in  the  grass,  tugged  by  thongs 
round  the  horns.  Some  in  the  distance  refused  to 
budge  from  the  higher  ground  of  the  village,  break- 
ing away  and  giving  the  long  legs  of  their  owners 
plenty  to  do  to  race  round  them  and  turn  them 
toward  us.  When  the  bargains  were  struck,  the 
women  turned  up  in  small  numbers  with  baskets  ; 
but  it  was  noticeable  that  the  younger  ones  were 
carefully  kept  at  home,  and  only  those  appeared 
who  were  (presumably  in  their  eyes,  distinctly  in 
ours)  unattractive  to  look  on. 

Some  filled  their  baskets  with  dhurra  and  took 
them  away  on  their  heads,  while  others  removed 
it  in  "  dug-outs,"  which  were  laboriously  paddled 
or  pushed  by  tortuous  channels  through  the 
swamp. 

In  these  cases  the  "  dug-outs  "  were  formed  out  of 
the  trunks  of  palm-trees,  the  ends  being  blocked 

16 


242     WHERE  LIVES  PRIMITIVE  MAN 

by  hard  mud  which  was  constantly  being  renewed 
or  replastered — frail  barks  indeed. 

A  feature  of  the  Nuer  country  is  the  ability  with 
which  the  men  build  their  grass  tukls^  or  huts,  par- 
ticularly in  the  case  of  the  kraals  for  the  cattle. 
Owing  to  the  plague  of  mosquitoes  and  flies  in  the 
night,  it  is  essential  for  all  cattle  to  be  shut  up 
within  doors.  These  cattle-huts  are  of  great  size, 
and  require  considerable  skill  in  construction.  The 
men  share  this  accommodation  with  the  beasts, 
sleeping  on  a  platform  in  the  centre,  on  a  soft 
mattress  of  ash,  with  a  smoky  fire  of  cowdung 
beneath  them.  It  was  apparent  that  the  ash 
had  not  a  beneficial  effect  on  the  skin,  which  in 
many  cases  was  excessively  coarsened  and  rough. 
The  front- teeth  of  the  upper  jaw  were  generally 
knocked  out,  causing  a  characteristic  protuberance 
and  irregularity  of  the  others. 

It  is  the  fashion  to  mix  the  milk  of  the  native 
cow  with  a  small  quantity  of  the  animal's  urine, 
which  is  believed  to  act  as  a  preservative,  and,  to 
my  horror,  I  found  that  the  milk  puddings  of  which 
I  had  been  partaking,  and  certainly,  though  unsus- 
pectingly, noticed  a  slight  unaccustomed  flavour  in, 
had  been  made  with  this  milk. 

Among  the  men  there  appeared  no  uniform 
method  of  hairdressing — the  only  dressing  indulged 
in.  Fashion  evidently  decreed  no  single  style.  In 
the  case  of  the  Mashonas  of  Rhodesia  much  the 
same  conditions  were  observable,  the  varieties  and 
comphcations  of  patterns  being  as  remarkable  as 


,.sl^SIKt^^M 

^ 

^ 

■  rr-  . 

1^ 

vJ^.. 

-IH 

^PJP'^      "«- 

f 

t. 

^^^^ 

ka"fc4g?>:*-     ■- 

Bkimcmams^-i 

■ -SiMaxammewt 

HK'fO'^^M 

»imd 

DIXKA    (.A'lTLK    "  .NKJKAII,       NEAR    UOl! 


MESHRA,       HIl'l'O    IMIs,    AXI)    AJHXG    VILLAGE. 

To  face  page  242. 


WOMAN'S  WILES  243 

those  of  the  Fungs  and  Hamegs,  and,  indeed,  much 
resenibUng  them. 

Some  Nuers  appeared  ui  the  cowdung-tinted  tufts 
described  before,  others  with  heads  evenly  covered 
with  caked  ash  and  urine  ;  some  with  the  same 
material  moulded  to  a  sharpened  horn  projecting 
forward,  others  with  an  ostrich  or  crane  feather 
perched  on  the  back  of  the  head. 

The  heads  of  the  women  were  invariably  clean- 
shaven. Those  who  were  married  wore  a  coquet- 
tish girdle  of  narrow  palm-leaf  string  or  strips, 
almost  efficient  for  its  purpose,  and  the  unmarried 
girls,  of  whom  two  put  in  an  appearance  during  the 
last  hours  of  our  stay,  were  emulative  of  innocent 
Eve. 

Yet  in  many  respects  woman  in  one  part  of  the 
world  resembles  woman  in  others.  In  some  parts 
Carlton  suppers  and  diamonds  are  a  moving  attrac- 
tion ;  here  it  was  dhurra  and  beads  that  produced 
symptoms  of  hankering.  The  youngest  of  the 
party,  wearing  a  skewer  of  beads  through  her  upper 
lip,  6  inches  long,  came  quietly  forward  to  me, 
havmg  decently  smoothed  down  her  grass  girdle. 
I  retreated  on  her  arrival  within  a  couple  of  yards 
while  she  endeavoured  to  make  a  sweet  face.  She 
smiled — such  a  smile !  she  held  her  head  on  one 
side,  with  her  hand  supporting  it,  to  describe  how 
hunger  was  enfeebling  her;  she  pointed  to  her 
mouth,  and  then  to  her  digestive  regions,  at  which 
I  took  fright  and  incontinently  fled. 

An  aged  companion  reminded  me  of  Watts's 

16—2 


2U     WHERE  LIVES  PRIMITIVE  MAN 

picture,  "  The  Birth  of  Experience,"  where  Adam 
and  Eve  eat  their  first  oyster.  Watts  there  depicts 
her  as  white.  The  Eve  in  this  instance  was  black, 
with  burnt  ash  on  her  head,  and  partook  of  a 
cayenne-pepper  pod  or  chiU  in  place  of  an  oyster. 
A  small  boy,  taken  by  their  colour,  had  a  snail- 
shell  full.  Eve  appeared  to  have  raided  him,  and 
for  ten  minutes  after  was  dancing,  bent  double, 
skippmg,  shaking  her  head  with  both  hands  hold- 
ing it,  rushing  backwards  and  forwards  to  the 
river,  crying  out  and  spitting  consumedly,  while 
Adams  of  all  sizes  roared  with  amusement,  and 
Eves  looked  concerned.  The  victim  was  fortu- 
nately good-natured  enough,  and  eventually  showed 
her  appreciation  of  the  joke  by  ending  her  laments 
with  a  shriek  of  laughter. 

Close  to  the  landing-place  where  we  had  tied  up, 
were  a  series  of  large  ant-hills  or  their  counterfeit 
presentments ;  inspection  demonstrated  a  large, 
deep,  circular  pit  in  the  hard  soil,  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  each.  These  proved  to  be  traps  for  the 
unwary  hippo,  wandering  at  night,  and  in  the 
darkness  allowing  his  fore-feet  to  step  over  the 
brink.  He  remains  in  this  position  helpless,  until 
the  morning  brings  the  adversary  with  spears. 
Many  tusks  were  in  the  possession  of  these 
villagers,  but  they  are  now  of  little  value,  since 
the  substitution  of  porcelain  for  the  manufacture 
of  artificial  teeth  in  Europe. 

On  the  sandy  beach  near  were  the  white  frag- 
ments   of    fresh    eggshells    in    profusion ;    Nuers 


CROCODILES'  EGGS  245 

standing  by  demonstrated,  rather  than  informed 
me,  in  hoarse,  guttural,  grunting  syllables,  that 
they  were  crocodile  eggs  taken  from  a  sand-covered 
hollow  discovered  that  morning.  Prodding  the 
soil  with  a  spear  much  as  a  Maori  prospects  for 
fossil  kami  gum,  they  seek  the  soft  spots  of 
recently  disturbed  soil  in  the  favourite  laying- 
places  of  the  reptiles.  The  Qgg  resembles  that  of 
a  goose,  and  is  filled  almost  entirely  with  a 
glutinous  matter  so  dense  as  to  cause  the  opera- 
tion of  blowing  to  be  decidedly  difficult.  I  had 
previously  brought  a  few  home  to  my  gamekeeper, 
who  was  unable  to  distinguish  them  from  those 
of  a  bird,  and  whose  nerves  would  have  sustained 
a  terrible  shock  had  it  been  possible  to  hatch  them. 
Even  after  experiences  with  native  milk  in  the 
Sudan,  and  on  a  long  trek  in  Mashonaland,  when 
I  ran  short  of  food  and  was  offered  a  native  dish 
of  six-inch  hairy  caterpillars  (preferring  to  starve 
for  a  time),  I  confess  I  would  decline  the  delights 
of  a  crocodile's  Qg^g. 

The  faces  of  these  savages  beggar  description. 
I  have  studied  the  physiognomies  of  Solomon 
Islanders  and  of  many  of  the  wild  men  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  but  never  have  I  seen  such  out- 
rageous travesties  of  the  human  countenance  as 
these.  "  Man  is  only  a  monkey  shaved,"  sings 
Gilbert,  who  would  feel  almost  super-Gilbertian 
were  he  here  to  confess  that  many  a  Nuer  man 
immeasurably  outrivals  the  monkey  in  grotesque 
hideousness.      Yet  in  some  cases  it  was  entirely 


246     WHERE  LIVES  PRIMITIVE  MAN 

otherwise,  a  higher  culture  from  some  far-away 
intermixed  blood  showing  itself  in  more  refined 
countenances  and  pleasing  expressions. 

A  feature,  strange  to  our  even,  well-regulated 
habits  and  ideas,  of  Arab  and  negro  alike,  is  the 
ease  with  which  they  will  subsist  and  undergo 
considerable  privation  on  a  very  small  quantity  of 
food,  and  yet,  when  an  opportunity  arises,  will 
calmly  sit  down  and  eat  incredible  quantities  at 
one  meal.  But  it  is  a  land  of  extremes ;  in  every 
condition  of  life  the  swing  of  the  pendulum  is 
long :  the  repletion  and  indigestion — if  not  worse — 
which  the  white  man  would  suffer  from  in  like 
circumstances  have  no  counterpart  here,  while  he 
would  endure  exceeding  discomfort  and  trial  had 
he  to  subsist  in  the  interim  on  a  few  handfuls  of 
dhurra.  But  in  Africa  there  is  no  need  to  provide 
an  excess  of  bodily  heat-productiveness,  and  the 
daily  pannikin  of  pony  maize  which  kept  Shackleton 
from  perishing  in  the  latter  days  of  his  "  Farthest 
South  "  journey  would  have  kept  him  at  normal 
temperature  here  instead  of  far  under. 

The  readiness  to  appeal  for  dhurra,  as  evidenced 
by  the  number  of  cattle  brought  up  for  trade, 
forced  the  conclusion  that  in  this  quarter  at  least 
there  was  no  great  scarcity,  at  least  for  the  time 
being,  this  qualification  being  made  on  account 
of  the  native  failing  of  rarely  looking  very  far 
ahead  of  the  present.  INIoreover,  the  people  were 
generally  in  fair  condition  ;  so  while  it  was  obvious, 
in  a  country  where  individual  houses  are  often  a 


KMIJAUKIM.    lAlll.i:    AT     KWUIX. 


DHUKKA    JiEING    UKMOVED    BY    CANOE. 

Note  true  colour  of  skin  where  wet. 


To  face  page  i?40. 


THE  LITHE  LION  247 

couple  of  hundred  yards  apart,  and  adjacent  villages 
are  correspondingly  scattered  over  wide  expanses 
of  morasses,  that  time  was  needed  to  allow  people 
to  congregate,  there  being  no  evidence  of  their 
coming  it  was  deemed  inadvisable  to  prolong 
delay  here.  Moreover,  the  malaria  which  held 
the  other  white  man  in  its  grip  intensified  so 
seriously  as  to  render  a  quick  journey  back  to 
Kodok  essential. 

Giving  news  of  intended  return  in  a  few  days' 
time  at  a  picturesque  meshra  named  Kwoin,  near 
a  village  most  mistakenly  called  "  Kool,"  and 
leaving  sandal  and  ghayassa  behind  with  instruc- 
tions to  cut  wood  in  the  interior,  we  sped  down- 
river in  haste  and  anxiety. 

A  few  hours  from  the  mouth  a  great  cry  was 
raised  by  the  crew,  and  expectant  faces  were 
excitedly  turned  to  us.  "  Asud  !"  called  Faragallah, 
pointing  over  the  plain  to  the  fringe  of  the  bush 
some  three  or  four  hundred  yards  to  the  west. 
How  one  envies  the  sight  of  these  men,  who,  un- 
concernedly chatting — the  busy  ones  directing  the 
course  of  the  boat,  the  idle  ones  napping,  or  feeding, 
or  dreaming — can  spot  a  live  point  amongst  the 
confusion  of  herbage  and  trees,  half  covered  and 
distant.  With  my  glass  I  discovered  the  slow, 
lithe  walk  of  the  great  yellow- brown  lion  just 
inside  the  belt,  and  moving  away. 

An  opportunity  seemed  to  be  before  us,  but 
fate  had  already  decreed  otherwise  ;  for  illness  could 
allow    no    delay,    and    communication    with    the 


248     WHERE  LIVES  PRIMITIVE  MAN 

indefatigable  mafatish  had  to  be  effected  on  one 
of  his  fleeting  visits  to  his  base  down-river.  So 
Leo  was  left  to  his  meanderings,  with  high  hopes 
that  he  would  not  desert  the  locality  during  the 
day  or  two  which  would  elapse  ere  our  return. 

The  sailors  had  discerned  the  lioness  retiring  to 
the  shelter  of  the  grass  as  her  lord  strode  away. 
To  successfully  evict  her  would  entail  the  firing  of 
the  grass  from  up-wind  to  drive  her  from  conceal- 
ment, and  expenditure  of  considerable  time. 

Faragallah,  the  Dinka  sailor,  once  had  a  narrow 
escape.  A  lion  was  seen  near  the  bank,  and  those 
on  board  went  ashore  and  posted  themselves  in 
position  to  shoot  it ;  but  it  retreated  to  cover  in 
long  grass,  and  Faragallah  proceeded  up-wind 
beyond  its  supposed  position  to  fire  the  grass. 
Mr.  Lion  had  also,  however,  travelled  up-wind, 
and  sat  down  to  await  the  progress  of  events. 
When  Faragallah  struck  his  match  to  fire  the 
grass,  Mr.  Lion  sat  up  and  said  "  Wouf !"  only 
six  feet  away.  But  Faragallah  was  undismayed  by 
this  unexpected  announcement,  calmly  fired  the 
grass,  and  then  bolted  off  as  fast  as  a  huge  length 
of  limb  would  avail  him  ;  so  did  Mr.  Lion,  in  the 
other  direction,  and  never  returned  to  inquire. 
This  sounds  somewhat  like  a  story  for  children, 
but  as  a  matter  of  fact  it  is  one  for  brave  men,  as 
Faragallah  showed  true  grit  in  waiting,  defenceless 
as  he  was,  to  carry  out  his  instructed  work. 

Two  days,  unhappily,  sufficed  for  the  investigation 
of  this  spot  by  the  lions,  who  had  disappeared  on 


THE  GREEK  AND  THE  COOK      249 

our  return,  leaving  only  their  spoor ;  and  a  long 
search  resulted  in  a  total  absence  of  game  being 
made  evident,  the  sole  result  of  the  day  being  a 
fine  example  of  the  African  bustard.  This  large 
bird  trusts  to  its  legs  almost  as  much  as  to  its 
wings  in  putting  distance  between  itself  and  a 
pursuer,  and  its  wide  expanse  of  brown  wing  is 
only  unfurled  when  pressed.  Of  the  turkey  kind, 
its  flesh  is  excellent  eating,  if  somewhat  coarse  and 
high-flavoured,  and  is  greatly  sought  after. 

Consequent  on  this  solitary  and  disappointing 
success  of  the  chase  occurred  an  incident  which 
demonstrates  the  difference  between  the  Greek  and 
the  Englishman,  as  it  is  reflected  in  the  native 
mind.  It  has  been  referred  to  before  that  the 
African  Greek  has  been  of  extraordinary  assistance 
in  the  development  of  the  Sudan,  by  reason  of  his 
enterprise,  his  excessively  frugal  habits,  and  a 
lack  of  self-respect,  which  enable  him  to  live  much 
as  the  native  does.  But  the  native  by  no  means 
admires  this  trait,  and,  indeed,  looks  down  on  the 
Greek  more  or  less  with  contempt. 

Still,  there  are  Greeks  and  Greeks — a  distinction 
which  the  native  mind  does  not  well  appreciate  ; 
and  that  the  engineer  of  the  boat,  despite  his 
limited  English,  was  a  distinctly  superior  person,  of 
some  education,  appeared  no  reason  to  my  cook 
why  he  should  be  considered  in  any  different  light 
from  the  others. 

So,  on  the  bustard  being  delivered  to  Abid — as 
chance  had  it,  from  the  hands  of  the  engineer — my 


250     WHERE  LIVES  PRIMITIVE  MAN 

cook  misunderstood  him,  and  came  to  me  with  the 
sulkiest  countenance,  decHning  to  toucli  the  bird 
on  any  account.  He  laid  down  that  he  was  "  No 
cook  for  *  Grec ';  he  cook  for  Englishman."  To 
expect  him  to  demean  his  proud  position  thus  was 
to  ask  him  to  do  something  incompatible  with  his 
dignity,  and  to  prostitute  his  powers.  The  con- 
tempt which  he  exhibited  in  his  voice  and  manner 
was  indeed  admirable  as  an  expression  of  one  of 
the  emotions.  It  was  evident  that  a  little  discretion 
was  required  to  get  round  the  corner  and  to  soothe 
ruffled  feelings,  and,  using  his  own  argument,  I 
quietly  pointed  out  that,  though  the  Greek  had 
handed  him  the  bustard,  it  was  my  bird,  and,  even 
if  it  had  not  been,  1  was  to  eat  some  of  it,  so  of 
course  it  was  a  matter  of  rank  impossibility  that  I 
could  debase  myself  by  eating  meat  prepared  by 
the  cook  of  a  "  Grec."  Being  equally  convinced 
that  such  a  proceeding  would  be  highly  improper, 
he  agreed,  and  retired  to  his  work  by  no  means 
contented. 

On  the  way  down  I  had  seen  a  huge  crocodile, 
very  dark  in  colour,  and  distended  with  eggs,  this 
being  the  breeding  season.  It  lay  in  the  water 
among  the  thick  grass,  its  head  being  hidden  from 
sight  on  the  bank.  I  planted  a  shot  in  its  neck, 
and  as  the  steamer  swirled  round  in  the  current, 
impeding  a  second  shot,  after  a  moment  or  two  of 
stillness  it  wriggled  feebly  into  the  tangle  of  reeds, 
and  disappeared  to  the  cries  of  the  sailors  saying 
"  Mat "  (Dead).      The  bullet  had  done  its  work, 


THE  RESOURCELESS  PETJCAN    251 

and  now,  on  our  return,  the  creature  was  visible, 
having  crawled  into  the  shallows  to  die,  lying 
distended  and  bloated,  too  far  advanced  in  decom- 
position to  touch. 

Close  by  this  spot,  too,  was  the  place  where  a  lion 
had  recently  been  shot  by  the  engineer  from  the 
steamer,  the  wound  dividing  the  throat  and  tearing 
the  main  arteries  and  veins.  Even  in  his  dying  and 
desperate  condition  he  managed  to  make  two  or 
three  fierce  bounds  toward  his  foe  on  the  steamer, 
when  his  rage  and  determination  were  all  the  more 
impressive  because  he  was  voiceless  through  the 
destruction  of  his  vocal  chords  and  the  choking  with 
blood. 

Pelicans  are  prominent  in  the  swampy  reaches  of 
the  Middle  Zeraf,  as  much  on  account  of  their 
stupidity  as  of  their  size  and  gliding  flight.  The 
recreation  of  chasing  hippo  unavoidably  turned  to 
that  of  following  pelican. 

One  appeared  in  the  distance,  and  endeavoured 
to  swim  faster  in  front  of  us  as  we  came  on.  His 
effort,  against  the  stream,  was  naturally  in  vain, 
and,  finding  his  swimming  powers  overmatched,  he 
slowly  unfolded  his  far-spreading  wings,  balanced 
his  huge  beak  and  the  deep  pouch  underneath  it, 
gave  himself  a  slight  altitude  above  the  water  by 
strongly  patting  its  surface  with  his  broad  webbed 
feet,  then  heavily  yet  easily  skimmed  low  in  front 
of  us  for  a  few  score  of  yards,  repeating  the  pro- 
gramme time  after  time.  As  we  progressed,  others 
were  similarly  overtaken  and  joined  in  the  flight 


252     WHERE  LIVES  PRIMITIVE  MAN 

from  their  persistent  object  of  terror,  until  quite  a 
drove  had  been  accumulated.  For  two  hours  the 
birds  failed  to  devise  a  means  of  escape,  going 
directly  ahead,  though  passages  opened  at  intervals 
on  either  side.  Eventually,  when  a  more  obvious 
opening  appeared,  by  mere  chance,  certainly  not 
by  intelligence,  they  took  the  direction  it  did  not 
suit  us  to  choose. 

The  Egyptian  artillerymen  had  done  good  work 
in  the  cutting  of  timber  during  our  absence. 
Splendid  examples  of  the  fine  physique  of  the 
Egyptian  fellahin,  for  a  few  extra  piastres  they 
were  only  too  glad  to  slave  at  the  work,  getting 
through  treble  the  amount  that  the  sailors  con- 
tributed. As  they  were  paid  according  to  the 
quantity  which  each  individual  brings  in,  an  extra- 
ordinary stimulus  was  given  to  their  exertions. 
Fine  men  tliat  they  are — and  ours  appeared  to  be 
of  particularly  good  class — their  heaviness  con- 
trasted strangely  with  the  alert  quickness  of  the 
slight  savages  on  the  banks,  however  lazy  the  latter 
in  reality  were.  The  complete  nudity  of  the  blacks 
naturally  gives  the  better  opportunity  of  appre- 
ciating the  build  of  their  figures,  and  in  some  cases 
of  finely-formed  men  the  modelling,  proportion 
and  outline  of  their  figures,  with  one  exception,  are 
admirable.  There  is  in  these  better  examples  a 
grace  and  cleanness  in  the  chiselling,  and  a  satis- 
fying definition  of  the  muscles  under  the  skin  ;  as 
with  the  antelopes,  fat  enters  not  into  suggestion, 
nor  the  horrid  over-development  which  at  present 


PHYSIQUE  OF  THE  NUERS        253 

has  vogue  at  home.  The  Hues  of  chest  and 
abdomen,  though  on  the  side  of  shghtness,  are 
perfect,  and  the  marking  of  each  series  of  muscles, 
and  of  the  external  divisions  of  the  body,  are  dis- 
tinctly yet  dehcately  pronounced.  The  exception 
lies  in  the  lower  leg,  which  is  invariably  poor,  in 
common  with,  perhaps,  the  majority  of  African 
blacks ;  and  in  general  they  fall  short  in  one 
important  particular,  which  produces  inevitable 
disappointment,  the  whole  system  of  build  being 
detracted  from  by  the  spareness  of  the  flesh-cover- 
ing, resulting  in  an  undeveloped  and  almost  wasted 
appearance.  Recollection  wanders  back  to  the 
great  statue  of  David  at  Florence,  to  feel  the 
greatest  representation  of  power  and  beauty,  and 
it  is  realized  that  the  essential  difference  between 
the  ancient  statue  and  the  living  model  before  us 
lies,  not  merely  in  the  better  development  of  muscles 
and  lower  extremities,  the  shorter  limbs,  and  the 
absence  of  coarseness  in  feet  and  hands,  but  in 
the  nobility  bestowed  on  mere  outward  form  by 
the  expression  of  mind,  as  well  as  of  matter,  which 
is  evidenced  in  the  great  sculptor's  marble. 

Arrived  once  again  at  Kwoin,  the  fruit  of  our 
previous  calls  was  immediately  apparent.  Not  so 
many  months  before  this  visit  the  approach  of  a 
steamer  was  the  signal  for  man,  woman,  and  child, 
to  bolt  far  out  of  reach.  Now  a  small  group  of 
black  figures  awaited  us  on  the  bank  by  the  grove 
of  deleb  palms.  Belal  and  one  Faragallah — distinct 
from  the  Dinka  bahaii — were  our  interpreters,  being 


254     WHERE  LIVES  PRIMITIVE  MAN 

Nuers  who  had  been  taken  as  slaves  in  their  youth, 
and  brought  up  as  Arabs.     But  no  education  could 
restore    to    these   men   the   front-teeth   they  had 
followed   the   fashion   in   losing,  and   it   produced 
merely  the  slightest  diffidence  when  it  seemed  better 
to  descend  from  the  glory  of  Egyptian  clothing  to 
the  comparative  indecency  of  a  mere  shoulder-cloth. 
The   two   interpreters,  being   in   charge   of  the 
business,  evinced   much   excitement   and  sense  of 
importance,  issued  instructions,  and  made  lengthy 
and  voluble  explanations  to  their  brothers  on  shore, 
which  eventually  led  to  a  small  ox  being  brought 
from  the  distant  village.     This  was  looked  at  dis- 
respectfully, for  the  Nuers  were  careful  in  trading, 
and  would  not  show  their  better  goods  first.     Yet 
it  was  necessary  to  encourage  them,  and  after  much 
haggling  and  noise  a  price  was  agreed  on  in  dhurra. 
Heaped  on  the  shore  were  many  sacks  of  this  com- 
modity,  landed   to  demonstrate  the  hona-fides  of 
our  desire  to  trade.    The  completion  of  this  transac- 
tion brought  more  cattle,  and  the  people  began  to 
take  courage  and  appear  in  greater  numbers.    After 
the  men  came  the  old,  withered  women,  bringing 
their  grass-woven  baskets,  plastered  with  cowdung 
to  fill  up  interstices.     Then  would  come  the  small 
boys,  perhaps  lugging  an  unwilling  sheep  or  goat 
after  them.     It  was  difficult  to  persuade  them  that 
goats  were  not  our  object,  for  oxen  were  welcome 
to   the   exiles  from   civilization   who   laboured   at 
clearing  the  "  sudd  "  and  welcomed  fresh  meat  as 
conducive  to  health.     It  was  essential  as  well  that 


WWI||pB^^^ 

A    XUER    VILLAGE. 


I'AKAGALLAH    AND    Ills    LADY    FRIENDS. 


To  face  page  254. 


MAKING  FRIENDS  255 

the  cattle  should  be  in  first-class  condition,  for  I 
have  remarked  the  extraordinary  way  they  fall  off 
in  a  small  number  of  days  when  travelling  on 
sandals  up-river.  So  the  lean  and  the  halt  were 
refused,  and  the  villagers  learnt  that  to  bring  poor 
ones  was  sheer  waste  of  time. 

I  purposely  mixed  with  the  people,  and  exhausted 
a  small  stock  of  Arabic  through  the  medium  of 
Belal,  who  translated  into  Nuer,  causing  me  to  feel 
Arabic  almost  as  my  mother-tongue  in  comparison 
with  the  strange  sounds,  which  seemed  to  defy 
analysis  by  the  ear.  Some  approached  nervously, 
gravely,  with  a  gesture  which  seemed  to  signify 
disapproval  or  deprecation,  but  which  in  reality 
was  a  salaam  ;  while  others  essayed  conversation, 
which  was  best  replied  to  by  affirmative  or  non- 
committal grunts,  which  form  an  important  feature 
in  intercommunication ! 

A  friendly  attitude  met  generally  with  immediate 
response  when  once  confidence  had  been  estab- 
lished, and  the  exceptions  to  this  in  the  Lower  Zeraf 
were  remarkably  few,  probably  in  no  greater  pro- 
portion, if  so  great,  as  would  be  met  with  amongst 
a  similar  crowd  in  England.  One  man  brought  his 
family  in  a  canoe  to  assist,  and  refused  to  examine 
a  mirror  or  stand  for  a  photograph,  either  fearing 
the  "  evil  eye,"  or  to  remain  long  in  the  vicinity 
of  people  who  might  prove,  after  all,  to  be  false. 
Another  sat  on  an  ant-hill,  twanging  the  native 
banjo,  formed  of  five  strings  yielding  consecutive 
notes  in  good  tune,  with  a  sour  expression  of  face, 


256     WHERE  LIVES  PRIMITIVE  MAN 

yielding  to  no  effort  of  friendliness.  A  third 
wandered  aimlessly  about,  approaching  repeatedly 
with  the  palms  of  his  hands  outstretched,  and  con- 
tinually giving  vent  to  some  desire  which  even 
Belal  failed  to  discover,  and  ended  by  saying 
"  Magnun  "  (Mad). 

Here  the  people  were  by  no  means  so  well  fed 
as  they  were  farther  up-river,  and  showed  corre- 
spondingly greater  desire  to  trade,  also  explaining 
by  signs  in  unmistakable  manner  that  they  were 
hungry,  which  of  course  is  not  necessarily  worthy 
of  credit !  They  were  joined,  as  a  last  demonstra- 
tion of  belief  in  security,  by  unmarried  maidens  and 
the  younger  of  the  married  women.  The  former 
often  shuddered  when  they  first  saw  their  faces  in 
a  looking-glass — shuddered  sometimes  without  too 
much  reason — jumped  out  of  their  skins  (which  was 
all  that  they  had  to  jump  out  of)  when  they  saw 
a  match  struck,  and  felt  passing  rich  with  a  handful 
of  the  white  beads  {niaow),  which  their  feminine 
hearts  craved  for. 

The  looking-glass  proved  an  immediate  introduc- 
tion to  good-will,  and  its  reputation  evidently  was 
bruited  far  and  wide,  for  as  days  went  on  many 
came  round,  and  it  was  obvious,  from  signs  as  they 
talked  to  the  initiated,  that  it  had  been  the  subject 
of  prior  conversation.  All  the  old  scenes  with  the 
earlier  visitors  were  faithfully  re-enacted  with  later 
arrivals.  Conceited  "  mere  man  "  will  be  forgiven 
for  saying  that  the  truly  remarkable  fact  was 
exhibited  that  the  men  showed  themselves  vastly 


SOCIAL  AMENITIES  257 

vainer  than  women  !  Invariably  the  glass  would 
at  first  be  held  close  to  the  face,  and  on  the  reflec- 
tion of  an  eye  or  nose  being  eventually  discovered 
(which  appeared  as  difficult  as  the  focussing  of  a 
star  through  a  telescope  to  the  tyro),  a  loud  shout  of 
"  Wah  I"  was  sent  up  in  surprise,  sometimes  fright. 
Reassured  and  instructed  by  (companions,  one  would 
hold  it  at  arm's  length,  and  discover  the  whole  of 
his  remarkable  features,  and  with  a  loud  shout  of 
"  Gwah  !"  ("nice,"  "beautiful,"  "magnificent,"  was 
apparently  the  translation)  he  would  dissolve  into 
smiles  of  delight  and  self-admiration,  having  to  be 
almost  forcibly  separated  from  his  unlovely  reflec- 
tion, and  returning  time  after  time  with  repeated 
requests  for  further  indulgence. 

The  "finder"  of  the  camera,  too,  was  an  in- 
exhaustible cause  of  amusement  to  men  and  maidens 
alike.  The  confidence  shown  by  the  latter  in  the 
bona-fides  of  the  visitors  was  pleasing,  and  only 
the  old  crones  would  put  in  an  instruction  or 
caution,  remembering  days  when  fine  words  and 
good  manners  ended  by  their  numbers  being  sur- 
rounded, and  murder  or  slavery  in  exile  resulting. 

One  day  a  middle-aged  man  approached  me  with 
a  maid  of  barbarian  beauty,  and  with  solemnity 
made  it  apparent  that  he  offered  her  me  as  a  help- 
mate in  life.  Permitting  him  to  continue  his  pro- 
position, he  explained,  the  shy  beauty  being  quite 
acquiescent,  that  the  consideration  for  his  kindness 
would  be  thirty  oxen  (trade  value  in  dhurra  perhaps 
£15)  ;  the  closed  fists  were  thrust  forward  three 

17 


258     WHERE  LIVES  PRIMITIVE  MAN 

times  to  indicate  number.  Cows  would  have  been 
a  welcome  alternative  to  him,  to  the  number  of 
ten  as  equivalent,  but  they  are  almost  impossible 
to  obtain,  so  much  store  does  the  Nuer  set  by 
them.  The  lady  was  obviously  exceedingly  in- 
terested in  what  would  be  my  decision,  and  doubt- 
less had  visions  of  riches  in  niaow  and  blue  beads 
beyond  dreams  of  avarice — clothing  did  not  appeal 
to  her ;  the  paleness  of  my  colour  seemed  by  no 
means  objectionable,  and  rotundness  of  figure  in 
this  land  of  the  thin  was  a  feature  of  beauty.  For- 
tunately, matrimony  being  more  a  matter  of  busi- 
ness than  of  sentiment,  I  was  enabled  without  great 
offence  to  decline,  by  means  of  a  method  of  barter, 
as  he  would  not  come  down  to  my  figure,  neither 
would  I  increase  to  his.  Moreover,  Belal  was 
careful  to  explain  that  I  was  a  peculiar  person,  and 
did  not  in  the  least  appreciate  the  fair  sex — in  fact, 
I  could  only  put  up  with  one  wife  at  home  in  my 
own  country  I 

Though  a  matrimonial  failure  in  the  land  of 
the  Nuers,  it  did  not  deter  another  aspirant,  and 
scruples  as  to  respecting  the  feelings  of  the  refused 
began  to  get  blunted,  especially  as  contemplation 
of  their  attractions  caused  one  to  sympathize 
with  the  feelings  of  James  Brunton  Stephens,  the 
Queensland  poet,  who  sang  : 

"  Daughter  of  Eve,  draw  near  ;  I  would  behold  thee. 
Good  heavens  !  could  ever  arm  of  man  enfold  thee  ? 
Did  the  same  Nature  that  made  Phryne  mould  thee?" 

Apparently  the   marriage    "  ceremony "   merely 


DEXTEROUS  LAWGIVERS         259 

consists  of  a  feast  on  a  slaughtered  ox,  and  when 
married  the  girls  immediately  assume  the  palm-strip 
girdle,  which  is  often  made  of  string  manufactured 
from  the  same  finger-palm-leaf  material. 

The  incredulity  with  which  my  monogamous 
peculiarity  was  received  was  consistent  with  the 
habits  of  the  Nuers,  who  accumulate  as  large  a 
collection  of  wives  as  their  substitutes  for  pockets 
can  afford.  Naturally,  when  market  value  is  so  high, 
it  is  only  the  wealthy  who  get  beyond  two  or 
three,  while  a  Sheikh  of  importance  will  command 
a  retinue  of  some  fifty  or  sixty.  As  man  is  mortal 
and  Sheikhs  commonly  well  on  in  life,  it  is  apparent 
that  on  the  death  of  a  Sheikh  widows  are  liable  to 
be  thrown  on  the  market  in  considerable  numbers, 
and  this  fact  was  evidently,  in  the  time  of  the 
ancient  Nilotic  lawgivers,  recognized  as  a  social 
problem  necessary  to  be  satisfied.  So  an  expedient 
was  hit  upon  for  its  solution,  and  Papa  Nuer  when 
lacking  virility  through  extreme  age,  or  lying  sick 
unto  death,  appoints  some  one  of  his  sons  to  act  as 
husband  to  all  his  mothers  but  his  own  particular 
one,  this  coming  into  effect  while  Papa  is  still  alive. 
What  becomes  of  the  unfortunate  maternal  parent 
who,  in  the  nature  of  things,  is  left  out  in  the  cold 
does  not  appear,  but,  as  the  market  is  prevented 
from  being  overstocked,  her  case  is  no  doubt  easily 
absorbed.  Now,  Papa  Shilluk  is  evidently  not  so 
far  advanced  in  worldly  wisdom  as  Papa  Nuer,  for 
he  only  ordains  that  the  arrangement  shall  come 
into  force  after  his  death,  and  gets  slyly  knocked  on 

17—2 


260     WHERE  LIVES  PRIMITIVE  MAN 

the  head,  as  a  consequence,  by  some  lusty  young 
wife  consumed  with  a  desire  to  anticipate  Nature. 

Naturally,  a  Sheikh,  possessing  a  greater  number 
of  wives  (a  doubtful  advantage  at  his  age),  runs  cor- 
respondingly greater  risks,  and  the  temptation  to 
Papa  Shilluk's  wives  to  terminate  the  marriage 
contract  by  putting  a  period  to  the  duration  of  his 
trials  and  troubles,  thereby  obtaining  a  healthy 
mate  for  themselves,  must  be  considerable.  It 
must  be  remembered  that  adultery  on  their  part  is 
punishable  by  a  serious  fine  in  cattle.  All  this 
cause  of  worry  to  an  ailing  man  is  avoided  by  the 
mental  dexterity  of  Nuer  lawgivers. 

Strictly  speaking,  a  widow  does  not  marry  again, 
and  this  gives  rise  to  a  custom  which  has  a  partial 
counterpart  in  the  Old  Testament.  She  certainly 
mates  with  a  man,  but  she  is  not  considered  his 
wife,  and  her  children  by  him  are  not  credited  to 
him  in  the  family  tree,  but  to  the  husband  defunct. 
If  with  her  new  mate  she  prove  barren,  as  proxy 
for  her  dead  husband  she  "  marries  "  some  other 
girl,  and  enlists  the  assistance  of  her  male  friend  to 
raise  up  seed  to  the  dear  departed.  Thus  it  occurs 
that  the  child  of  a  dead  man  and  his  widow  may  be 
flesh  of  neither  of  them,  but  by  the  means  of  pro- 
creation by  deputies  the  continuance  of  the  family 
name  is  assured.  The  system,  if  adopted  in  Europe, 
might  prove  popular  with  the  representatives  of  old 
families  who  are  "petering  out." 

On  the  death  of  a  Nuer  he  will  probably  remain 
on  the  scene  of  his  marital  troubles  and  joys,  for 


SOCIALIST  NUERS  261 

his  burial-place  is  the  inside  of  his  hut,  under- 
ground, or  just  outside  his  front-door.  Utilitari- 
anism prevails,  and  the  proximity  of  the  deceased 
does  not  appear  to  affect  his  late  family,  nor  to 
interfere  in  the  slightest  with  continued  occupation 
of  his  house. 

A  Sheikh  is  in  other  ways  by  no  means  to  be 
envied.  He  appears  to  be  the  recipient  of  great 
wealth  from  his  visitors,  but  he  will  almost  certainly 
be  relieved  of  it  by  his  subjects  before  he  attains 
the  sanctuary  of  his  own  hut,  and  it  thus  often 
happens  that  the  man  who  receives  the  most  ends 
up  by  having  none.  The  son  of  the  late  Sheikh  Diu, 
Woll  Diu,  who  is  physically  a  perfect  example  of 
manhood,  had  actually  to  be  escorted  by  a  body- 
guard to  his  huts  with  the  presents  given  by  the 
Government,  and  the  only  imaginable  parallel  would 
be  afforded  by  the  spectacle  of  King  Edward 
returning  to  Buckingham  Palace  laden  with  gifts 
from  a  foreign  potentate,  and  running  the  gauntlet 
of  an  army  of  ravenous  Socialists  thirsting  for  the 
spoil. 

This,  if  I  recollect  aright,  occurred  at  a  place  called 
Louang  Deng,  which  is  a  spot  of  considerable  attrac- 
tion, beautified  by  large-grown,  thornless,  shady, 
flowering  trees.  It  is  the  joint  Mecca  of  Dinkas 
and  Nuers,  who  admit  their  common  origin.  It  is 
very  difficult  to  get  particulars  from  the  people  as 
to  their  beliefs,  but  that  given  to  my  informant  by 
the  high-priest  was  to  the  effect  that  their  ancestor, 
Deng  Dit,  had   two  sons,  one  of  whom  was  the 


262     WHERE  LIVES  PRIMITIVE  MAN 

progenitor  of  the  Nuer  tribe,  and  the  other  of  the 
Dinka.  To  the  Dinka  he  presented  a  cow,  and  to 
the  Nuer  a  cow-calf,  or  heifer.  Not  satisfied  with 
his  own  portion,  the  Dinka  coveted  the  property 
of  the  Nuer,  even  as  Esau  coveted  that  of  Jacob. 
He  stole  his  brother's  cow-calf,  and  it  was  never 
restored.  Therefore,  pronounced  Deng  Dit,  after 
persuasion  and  threat  had  failed,  shall  the  Dinka 
henceforth  and  forever  live  by  robbery,  while  the 
Nuer  shall  live  by  honourable  war.  And  to  this 
moment  does  this  hold  good,  for  even  to-day  the 
Government  is  occupied  in  arranging  disputes 
between  them,  and  in  restoring  to  the  Nuers  cattle 
taken  by  stealth  by  the  predatory  Dinkas  of  the 
Khor  Filus  or  of  the  south. 

They  also  bear  in  awe  more  than  in  reverence  a 
somewhat  vague  deity  who  is  debited  rather  with 
maleficent  powers  than  kindly  intentions,  this  being 
a  very  common  belief  amongst  all  pagan  races. 
Doubtless  he  is  synonymous  with  the  spirit  of  evil 
who  took  the  form  of  the  serpent  in  the  Garden  of 
Eden,  and  it  is  to  be  remarked  that  among  various 
Sudanese  tribes  an  evil  spirit  is  beheved  to  do  ill 
to  humanity  by  assuming  the  guise  of  a  hyaena  or 
other  noxious  beast  harmful  to  man.  In  some 
cases  it  would  appear  that  this  spirit  can  be  invoked 
for  the  service  of  some  enemy  of  the  victim,  which 
belief  is  accountable  for  many  subsequent  imbroglios. 

According  to  Belal,  the  Nuer  country  is  divided 
into  five  provinces,  namely,  Jekang  on  the  Sobat, 
Lau,  Lak,  Tiang,  and  Gaweir. 


"LET  THE  DRY  LAND  APPEAR"    263 

At  Kwoin  village,  far  up  the  river,  I  was  over- 
taken by  the  Inspector,  whose  energy  and  enterprise 
was  enormous  and  enviable.  The  pioneer  work  of 
the  officials  of  these  countries  is  done  in  the 
darkness  of  obscurity,  and  seldom  becomes  known 
to  the  world.  Reports  written  from  experience 
and  knowledge  are  locked  up  or  pigeon-holed  at 
official  headquarters,  and  it  is  too  often  left  to  the 
casual  visitor,  incompetent  because  time  and  oppor- 
tunities are  restricted,  to  chronicle  imperfect  records 
to  the  best  of  his  ability. 

An  excuse  to  visit  the  village  was  affiDrded  by 
the  flight  of  duck  in  its  direction,  and  it  gave  me 
an  example  in  a  small  way  of  the  difficulties  of 
travel  which  the  courageous  pioneers,  who  under- 
take most  enterprising  journeys  in  their  necessary 
exploratory  work,  undergo.  Far  in  the  evening 
haze  the  cattle  could  be  seen  streaming  from  their 
feeding-grounds  on  the  bank  of  cracked  clay, 
representing  terra  firma  in  this  land  still  inchoate, 
and  only  half  emerged  from  the  protracted  initial 
processes  of  creation.  Fully  a  mile  of  morass 
intervened,  and  a  couple  of  sturdy,  amiable  artillery- 
men were  of  welcome  assistance  in  the  first  instance 
in  negotiating  the  deeper  patches  of  mud  and 
water  through  which  the  track  led.  The  lady 
who  pushed  a  canoe  through  the  winding,  narrow 
waterway,  and  dragged  it  over  the  shallows,  gave 
a  profitable  example  of  the  more  thorough  method 
of  progressing ;  repugnance  at  the  black  water 
was  overcome,  and  the  plunge  taken.     The  bank 


264     WHERE  LIVES  PRIMITIVE  MAN 

eventually  reached,  on  its  borders  were  the  few 
huts,  quite  irregularly  placed,  a  little  clean-swept 
space  in  front  of  the  low  door.  Ancient  Angelina 
sat,  undisturbed  by  the  coming  of  the  stranger, 
gently  rolling  her  gourd  of  beastly  milk  from 
side  to  side  to  make  still  more  beastly  butter. 
Near  her  is  the  smooth-sided  hole  in  the  ground 
wherein  the  corn  is  placed  for  crushing,  for, 
in  common  with  the  Shilluks  and  Dinkas,  the 
Nuers  do  not  generally  grind  their  corn  as  do  the 
Arabs,  but  crush  it  laboriously  with  a  heavy  pestle 
some  6  feet  long.  Lack  of  concentration  would 
appear  to  be  a  limitation  of  the  Nuer  in  contrast 
to  the  Dinka,  for  Angelina  would  have  to  shout 
over  a  space  of  two  or  three  hundred  yards  to  the 
next  few  huts  were  she  to  see  the  robber  Dinkas 
coming. 

Here  and  there  were  deep  holes  of  stagnant 
water,  ideal  breeding-places  for  mosquitoes  and 
abominations,  but  still  beloved  of  duck.  Shrieks 
followed  the  report  of  my  friend's  twelve-bore,  and 
amazement  the  fall  of  a  mallard  from  a  height  by 
the  mysterious  power  of  the  white  man's  magic ; 
but  recovery  was  quick  on  the  object  of  our  sport 
being  seen  in  our  hands,  and  a  demand  for  niaow 
became  observable  as  a  feminine  guide  led  us  by 
the  difficult  track  to  our  floating  home. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

"AHAI    OW    MAZADA!" 

Our  coming  was  awaited  down-river  at  Kwoin 
with  considerable  interest.  The  news  of  our 
mission  had  spread  far  and  wide,  and  there  was 
a  small  party  already  assembled.  As  we  neared 
them  a  snake  caused  a  sensation  on  board. 
Probably  caught  up  and  whipped  inboard  by  the 
stern  wheel,  it  made  for  the  deepest  retreat  it 
could  find,  and  slid  into  the  stokehole  at  one  side 
while  the  stoker,  who  was  fireman  to  Gordon, 
found  it  convenient  to  ascend  just  as  expeditiously 
on  the  other.  Owing  to  the  heat,  the  infernal 
regions  proved  unpopular  with  the  prototype  of 
Satan,  even  as  a  temporary  home,  and,  crossing 
the  deck,  it  slithered  away  through  the  water,  mid 
the  curses  of  the  crew,  toward  the  bank  where 
stood  Adam  and  Eve. 

Cattle  rested  under  the  deleb  palms,  whose 
golden,  scented,  but  unfortunately  stringy  fruit  was 
brought  on  board  to  us ;  dhurra  was  landed,  and 
the  well-worn  process  of  bargaining  was  renewed, 
the  price  being  generally  four  sacks  of  dhurra  to 
the   ox.      A   specially  fine   one   would   command 

265 


266  "AHAI  OW  MAZADA  !" 

five  or  six,  but  none  were  seen  equal  in  quality 
to  some  which  were  taken  from  the  Atwot 
Dinkas  of  the  Mountain  Nile  during  their  recent 
rebellion. 

There  was  now  no  shyness  or  hesitation  on  the 
part  of  the  people ;  they  came  freely  around, 
men,  women,  and  children,  the  men  entering  the 
ghayassa,  and  on  invitation  even  invading  the 
lower  deck  of  the  steamer.  Some  of  the  women 
ventured  exceedingly  by  visiting  the  sandal ;  their 
nervousness  was  extreme,  and  their  precautions 
amusing.  The  men  put  their  feet  down,  in  taking 
a  step,  with  the  deliberation  and  care  of  a  stork, 
but  the  ladies  were  cautious  to  an  excess,  fearing  a 
fall.  The  gangway  was  level,  and  full  6  feet 
wide,  and  to  the  waders  of  marshes  this  would 
seem  to  be  as  secure  as  Westminster  Bridge ;  but 
one  would  venture  first,  slowly,  a  foot  at  a  time, 
balancing  with  bent  body  and  legs,  holding  the 
hand  of  her  sister  behind,  gingerly  treading  every 
inch  of  the  sigala,  and  expressing  unbounded 
relief  at  the  safe  termination  of  the  hazardous 
journey.  Yet  the  same  women  would  entrust 
themselves  without  a  qualm  to  the  tender  mercies 
of  an  unstable  canoe  with  brittle  clay  ends  I 

To  my  mind,  the  people  generally  evinced  much 
more  intelligence  than  many  of  the  raw  natives 
I  came  across  in  Mashonaland  in  1895.  1  then  had 
great  difficulty,  when  short  of  food,  in  explaining 
that  I  wanted  eggs ;  various  graphical  illustrations 
proving  resultless,  a  pencil  outline  was  fruitlessly 


LANGUAGE  AND  NAMES  267 

resorted  to,  then  shaded  in,  proving  uproariously 
successful  only  when  a  crack  was  delineated,  with 
the  head  and  neck  of  a  chicken  emerging.  The 
Nuers  understand  a  sketch  more  quickly,  naming  a 
lion  from  a  very  unworthy  drawing,  and  explaining 
that  lions,  though  very  numerous,  did  not  trouble 
them  much,  as  if  let  alone  by  man  they  would 
generally  reciprocate  such  neglect.  I  gathered  that 
their  word  for  "  lion  "  had  a  strange  similarity  to 
the  English,  approximating  the  sound  of  aleean, 
the  accent  on  the  second  syllable,  with  the  first 
very  short.  The  Arabic  word  for  "  woman "  is 
viara,  viariam  also  being  used — a  fairly  obvious 
derivation  of  the  name  "  Mary."  The  difficulties 
of  interpretation  led  to  uncertainty  of  the  Nuer 
equivalent,  which  sounded  like  inan,  but  of  this 
1  could  not  get  confirmation. 

The  expressions  for  "  father "  and  "  mother " 
appear  to  be  root  words  which  have  come  down 
from  remote  ages  through  the  multitudinous 
branches  of  the  human  race.  The  Dinka  and  Lur 
for  "  mother  "  is  ma,  the  Sandeh  na,  and  the  Bari 
mama  ;  while  for  "  father  "  the  Sandeh  say  ha^  the 
Bari  and  Bamba  haha,  and  the  Mombottu  papanque. 
The  Bari  go  a  step  farther  with  the  word  "  sister," 
and  say  sasser.  Probably  Cain  used  the  same 
terms. 

The  names  of  Nuers  are  generally  monosyllabic, 
but,  as  in  England,  they  as  a  rule  rejoice  in  two. 
A  Chinese  gravestone  in  Adelaide,  Australia,  re- 
corded  the   sepulture  of  a  man  appropriately  or 


268  "AHAI  OW  MAZADAl" 

otherwise  named  "  Gong  Up."  Here  we  come 
across  such  names  as  Toi  Thif,  Uz  Kir,  Bied  Uz, 
or  Bai  Gam.  They  at  least  have  the  merit  of 
simpHcity. 

One  very  tall  man  put  in  an  appearance  here, 
and  I  greatly  desired  to  measure  him,  but  to  this 
he  entertained  the  strongest  objection.  Some  super- 
stitious folk  in  England  have  an  aversion  to  the 
height  of  their  children  being  taken,  connecting  it 
with  the  undertaker's  requirements  in  regard  to  a 
coffin ;  but  such  an  idea  formed  no  reason  here,  as 
such  luxuries  are  not  indulged  in.  A  ruse  became 
necessary,  and  by  stealth  a  seven-foot  spear  was 
placed  beside  him,  over  which,  a  giant  amongst  tall 
men,  he  still  towered  by  fully  6  inches. 

Another  fine  fellow,  almost  approaching  this 
Nuer  in  height,  appeared  with  a  terrible  hole  in  his 
face,  the  upper  jaw-front  being  missing,  and  the 
nasal  orifices  being  one  with  the  mouth.  His  upper 
teeth  were  displaced,  and  protruded  at  all  angles. 
This  was  occasioned  by  the  attack  of  an  elephant, 
which,  throwing  him  down,  had  thrust  his  tusk 
into  the  poor  fellow's  face,  causing  a  wound  which 
would  have  destroyed  anyone  but  a  savage.  I 
endeavoured  to  get  details  from  him  of  the  accident, 
but  he  evinced  the  greatest  aversion  to  being  ques- 
tioned on  what  was  apparently  a  highly  distasteful 
subject. 

The  explanation  of  the  sleek,  comparatively 
cleanly  looks  of  the  women,  who  merely  show 
the  marks  on   their   knees   and   shins   caused   by 


"  MURDER  "  AND  POLITENESS     269 

kneeling  on  moist  earth  in  the  course  of  their  daily- 
work,  is  due  to  their  abstention  from  the  habit 
of  painting  themselves  white,  to  their  practice  of 
shaving  their  heads  entirely,  and  to  the  fact  that, 
unlike  the  cattle-herding  men,  they  do  not  sleep  on 
burnt-ash  beds,  but  in  their  own  huts.  One  of  the 
quaint  sights  of  the  country  is  to  see  an  ash- 
covered,  lead-coloured  Nuer  after  walking  up  to 
his  middle  in  water.  His  head  is  also  caked  in 
adhesive  masses  of  ash  mixture,  his  face,  and  chest 
to  his  middle  are  of  the  whitey-grey  of  a  horrid 
corpse,  while  below  the  waist  he  is  a  beautiful, 
glistening  black !  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the 
effect  of  the  hair  pomade  is  at  least  disinfectant, 
and  that  the  absence  of  hair  on  the  body  of  both 
sexes  conduces  to  freedom  from  some  classes  of 
parasites. 

Small  boys  crowded  round  one,  laughing  and 
joking ;  young  men  and  old  warriors  joined  in 
investigations,  never  the  sign  of  a  liberty  being 
taken  ;  and  long  conversations,  with  much  emphasis 
and  gesticulation,  were  alternated  with  expressions 
of  friendliness  and  horrible  smiles.  Time  after  time, 
toward  the  end  of  my  visit,  a  lanky  fellow  would 
approach,  with  a  well-meaning  grin  all  over  his 
face,  and  from  the  heights  far  above  me  would  bend 
and  shout  down  in  my  face,  "  Ahai  ow  mazada  !" 
It  sounded  uncommonly  like  the  word  "  murder," 
as  the  consonants  were  but  slightly  pronounced  ; 
but  his  evident  pleasure  gave  the  lie  to  such  a 
deduction.     Learning   that    the   meaning  was   an 


270  *'AHAI  OW  MAZADA!" 

expression  of  content  with  my  personality,  I  tried 
its  effect,  on  my  return  to  Fashoda,  on  a  solitary 
Nuer  who  had  been  brought  into  hospital,  and 
who,  separated  from  his  companions,  speaking  no 
Arabic,  and  desperately  lonely,  burst  into  wreaths 
of  smiles  when  I  shouted  "  Murder !"  into  his 
face  I 

A  dance  of  small  boys  was  voluntarily  arranged 
by  the  Nuers  for  my  entertainment.  Led  by  a 
mature  instructor,  who  faced  them,  they  had  the 
advantage  of  a  stringed  band  in  true  civilized 
fashion.  Certainly,  it  was  confined  to  one  instru- 
ment, a  gourd  banjo,  and  had  but  the  usual  five 
notes ;  still,  it  was  played  in  tune  and  in  time,  with 
a  drum  accompaniment  struck  by  the  finger  on 
the  sounding-board,  but  with  no  vestige  of  an  air. 
Primitive  as  ever,  the  dance  was  undoubtedly 
erotic,  and,  though  comparatively  mild  in  character, 
it  appeared  a  combination  of  the  danse  du  ventre 
and  the  Maori  haka. 

Many  of  the  men  wore  the  ivory  armlets  which 
are  such  characteristic  ornaments  of  these  Nilotic 
negroids.  Worked  out  of  the  upper  and  hollow 
portions  of  the  elephant's  tusk,  they  are  shaped  in 
different  outlines,  the  sections  of  some  showing 
considerable  taste  in  the  design.  Some  are  cross- 
sections  of  the  tusk,  others  cut  longitudinally  ;  and 
such  is  the  slightness  of  bone  in  these  people,  that 
ladies  in  Europe,  on  endeavouring  to  pass  them 
over  the  elbow,  marvel  to  think  it  to  be  possible  by 
a  full-grown  man.    Some  of  the  finer  specimens  are 


THE  BOY  AND  THE  FOOL         271 

said  to  be  heirlooms,  and  it  seemed  perhaps  sinful 
to  bargain  for  them.  However,  the  Nuers  preferred 
the  three  skeins  of  blue  beads  which  I  offered  them 
in  exchange,  deeming  themselves  much  the  gainers, 
and  all  parties  were  satisfied. 

My  partiality  for  these  curiosities  having  become 
known — those  common,  ordinary,  everyday  things 
which  the  foolish  white  man  gives  beautiful  blue 
beads  for — a  youngster  thrust  under  my  notice  an 
inferior,  exceedingly  old  one,  having  little  but  its 
peculiar  shape  to  recommend  it  to  me.  I  waved 
it  away,  not  requiring  it ;  but  the  youth  was  so 
anxious,  that  out  of  sheer  kindness  of  heart  I  put 
my  hand  in  my  pocket  and  gave  him  an  empty 
brass  cartridge-case  from  my  shot-gun,  of  far  less 
intrinsic  value  than  that  valuable  object  of  barter, 
an  empty  '303  case.  The  transaction  had  been 
watched  with  breathless  interest,  and  a  shout  of 
derision  went  up  on  the  completion  of  the  bargain. 
The  black  bystanders  roared  at  the  fool — yes,  but 
/  was  the  fool !  I  had  been  "  done  brown  "  by  a 
bit  of  a  boy,  who  had  palmed  off  on  me,  in  exchange 
for  very  valuable  consideration,  a  piece  of  most 
miserable  rubbish  I 

It  was  apparent  that  a  very  large  proportion 
of  the  people  had  never  before  set  eyes  on  a 
white  man.  The  nearest  approach  to  any  kind  of 
familiarity — and  then  it  was  not  intended  as  such — 
was  when  one  would  touch  my  unbuttoned  shirt 
in  order  to  come  to  some  sort  of  conclusion  as  to 
whether  or  not  I  were  white  all  over.     The  fact 


272  "AHAI  OW  MAZADA  ! " 

that  my  collar-bones  did  not  jut  out  like  the  hip- 
bones of  a  starved  ox,  as  did  theirs,  seemed  to 
excite  admiration  and  envy. 

The  terror  of  one  dear  old  lady  when  she  set 
eyes  on  me  first  is  for  ever  unforgettable.  For 
seventy  years  this  wrinkled  and  wasted  old  thing 
must  have  lived  amongst  ordinarily  coloured  skins, 
and  now  was  fated  to  confront  the  ghastly  sight 
which  a  white  face  presented.  Mere  ansemia  in  no 
way  came  near  it ;  the  corpse-like  hue  of  her  ash- 
coloured  sons  paled — I  should  say  darkened — beside 
it.  Sick  with  horror,  she  clasped  her  head  in  both 
hands,  turned  away  with  wild  shrieks,  and  covered 
her  face,  which  to  me  was  a  matter  of  considerable 
comfort,  it  not  being  beautiful. 

It  was  interesting,  too,  to  try  the  effect  of  foods 
on  their  uncultivated  tastes.  Great  curiosity  was 
evinced  as  to  my  methods  of  eating,  and  small 
crowds  stood  by  on  the  shore,  remarking  on  the 
strange  methods  in  use  by  the  white  man  on  board. 
Sugar  was  an  abomination  to  them,  save  after  a 
while  to  the  usual  small  boy.  The  puff  biscuits, 
of  which  there  are  too  many  in  Huntley  and 
Palmer's  "  mixed  "  tins,  were  tasted  gingerly,  and 
then  thrown  away.  These  are  particularly  useful 
in  the  Sudan  for  the  purpose  of  creating  a  thirst 
when  the  heat  is  insufficient,  and  I  perfectly 
appreciated  the  action  of  these  Nuers  when,  in 
their  endeavour  to  lubricate  their  desiccated  throats, 
the  poor  victims  proceeded  to  lower  the  level  of 
the  river.    Fish  rissoles  received  but  scant  apprecia- 


A  RESTRICTED  DIET  278 

tion,  perhaps  also  because  they  were  fresh  and  not 
high  in  flavour  I 

After  all,  milk  is  good,  when  one  has  conquered 
one's  scruples  ;  and,  again,  dhurra  as  bread — dhurra 
boiled  with  grease,  whole  in  grain  or  as  flour — 
dhurra  as  merissa — dhurra  as  um-bil-bil  or  the 
Nuer  equivalent — dhurra  in  fermented  flakes  with 
water:  what  a  marvellous  variety  of  food,  and 
what  need  of  greater  ? 

They  rarely  eat  their  cattle,  unless  the  latter 
die,  which  is  reminiscent  of  a  way  some  have 
in  England  of  killing  a  beast  on  the  point  of 
death,  so  that  it  may  be  sent  to  market  with  a 
clear  conscience.  One  case  recurs  to  me  in  which 
an  animal  so  treated  was  discovered  to  have  been 
suffering  from  anthrax  unrecognized  by  the  farmer, 
and  only  escaped  the  market  by  the  vigilance  of 
an  official.  Tobacco  is  cultivated,  and  their  large 
pipes  resemble  those  of  the  Dinka  and  Shilluk. 

On  going  ashore  the  last  day  I  was  soon  made 
aware  of  something  unusual.  Two  moments  after 
approaching  a  group  I  was  surprised  to  see  all 
the  women  and  girls,  some  thirty  or  forty  in 
number,  running  away  in  a  bunch.  As  this  left 
only  the  men  of  the  party,  not  understanding  the 
manoeuvre,  I  got  within  reach  of  the  boat,  but 
was  soon  reassured. 

They  followed  a  tall  man,  new  as  a  visitor,  who 
held  a  cylindrical  object  over  his  head,  and  uttered 
sharp  guttural  commands  in  harsh  tones  to  his 
following.     Then,  all  facing  me  about  fifty  paces 

18 


^74  "AHAI  OW  MAZADA!" 

away,  they  sang  a  weird  song,  and  advanced,  still 
singing,  toward  me,  the  old  Sheikh-priest,  for  such 
he  appeared,  intermingling  his  rough  voice  with 
the  not  quite  unmelodious  tones  of  the  women. 

Four  yards  away  they  all  stopped,  and  crouched, 
or  knelt,  on  their  knees,  and  then  came  a  perform- 
ance for  all  the  world  like  the  responses  in  our 
English  Church  service.  With  wonderful  vigour 
and  emphasis  the  Sheikh,  Buz  Nyal  by  name, 
recited  a  short  sentence  jolted  out  in  a  tone  so 
severe  that  he  might  be  intending  to  devour  the 
maids.  His  congregation  replied  with  a  somewhat 
more  lengthy  response,  and,  just  as  happens  in 
church,  slightly  before  the  end  of  their  sentence 
Parson  Buz  Nyal  had  begun  his  next  invocation. 
It  was  for  all  the  world  like,  "  We  beseech  Thee  to 
hear  us,  good  Lord."  I  found  it  impossible  to 
avoid  a  comparison  with  the  situation  at  home, 
where  the  clergyman  holds  a  somewhat  similar 
sway  over  the  feminine  mind.  Here  on  the  part 
of  his  subjects  was  an  obedience  amounting  to 
as  near  adoration  as  is  possible  to  the  undeveloped 
native  mind,  and  on  the  Sheikh's  part  a  masterful 
domination — influence  is  too  weak  a  word — which 
was  meekly  submitted  to. 

Buz  Nyal  wore  the  spiked  rings  and  bracelets 
with  which  the  Nuers  lacerate  disobedient  wives' 
backs  (of  the  latter  there  seemed  to  be  plenty) ; 
his  nails  were  exceedingly  long,  as  are  those  of 
the  Chinese ;  his  hair  long  and  fuzzy,  growing  as 
though  he  were  running  full   speed   and   leaving 


A  STARTLING  CEREMONIAL       275 

it  behind  in  the  wind,  only  being  retained  in 
position  by  the  bond  of  a  cowrie  circlet. 

Here  is  a  land  where  our  suffragette  friends 
might  well  indulge  their  energies,  and  perhaps 
achieve  actual  martyrdom  in  a  protest  against  the 
use  of  Adam's  dreadful  jewellery. 

At  this  moment,  the  responses  ended,  not  know- 
ing the  degree  of  importance  of  the  good  Buz 
Nyal,  but  judging  the  time  had  come  when  he 
expected  a  present,  and  having  nothing  else  handy, 
I  placed  a  supply  of  white  beads,  known  as 
niaow,  in  his  hands.  Baker  recounts  the  mistake 
of  pet  ostriches  in  camp  at  Khartoum,  who  de- 
voured these  beads  with  alacrity  under  the  false 
impression  that  they  were  dhurra.  Buz  Nyal's 
palsied  hand  could  hardly  retain  them,  and  as  a 
gift  being  obviously  insufficient,  the  services  of 
Belal,  the  interpreter,  were  called  in.  Fortunate 
it  was  for  me  that  I  did  so,  as  the  event  proved. 
A  vast  talk  was  indulged  in  by  Buz,  mainly  con- 
sisting of  a  recital  of  the  importance  and  value 
of  the  presents  made  to  other  chiefs  by  the  Govern- 
ment. Eventually,  after  lengthy  discussion,  a  cloth 
sufficient  to  cover  the  trunk  of  the  body  when  tied 
at  two  opposite  corners  and  slung  over  the  shoulder, 
half  a  dozen  coils  of  brass  wire,  a  string  of  large 
black  beads  spotted  with  white  (gianator),  and  a 
couple  of  skeins  of  the  blue  ones,  proved  satis- 
factory, with  a  sack  of  the  dhurra  thrown  in. 

*'  Halass  "  (Finished)  was  cried,  formal  friendship 
was  declared,  and  holding  Belal's  hand,  palm  up- 

18—2 


276  "AHAI  OW  MAZADA  !" 

wards,  before  him,  Buz  Nyal  spat  into  it  as  a  seal 
to  an  unwritten  document. 

Shortly  afterwards  he  had  a  very  determined  and 
emphasized  conversation  with  me — he  was  nothing 
if  not  emphatic — his  words  being  interpreted  as 
an  expression  of  pleasure  at  seeing  me,  or  the 
Nuer  equivalent,  and  ending  in  the  gift  of  a  further 
small  handful  of  beads.  Then  came  an  exhibition 
of  kinship  with  Solomon.  In  accordance  with  the 
prerogative  of  a  Sheikh  previously  described,  two 
women  came  up  and  begged  him  for  beads.  Com- 
petition was  keen,  and  words  became  high,  anger- 
ing Buz  Nyal ;  so  he  took  the  bull  by  the  horns, 
and  ended  the  dispute  by  pitching  the  beads  far 
into  the  grass,  scattering  them  beyond  reclamation. 
His  mood  suddenly  changed,  and,  turning  to  me 
with  a  smile,  in  modulated  tones  he  expressed  his 
hope — as  Belal  translated — that  he  had  not  made 
me  angry,  and  that  I  did  not  think  that  he  under- 
valued my  gift,  assuring  me  that  it  was  necessary 
to  end  the  dispute  in  the  drastic  manner  I  had 
witnessed. 

Another  instance  of  unexpected  politeness  was 
afforded  when  an  old  gentleman,  clad  in  a  shoulder- 
cloth  ragged  and  discoloured  with  age,  approached 
me  with  many  gentle  signs,  and  begged  me  to  sit 
down  in  front  of  him  ;  pointing  out  the  existence 
of  a  very  obvious  rent,  he  made  the  sign  of  a 
needle  and  thread,  by  which  one  would  gather  that 
he  had  previously  come  into  contact  with  civiliza- 
tion.     Seeing    also    his    dissatisfaction  with    the 


IVORY    AUMLETS    AXD    NUP:R    (  UKRKKCY. 

1,  Ivory  armlets  ;  2,  ivory  ring  ;  3,  yianatar  beads  ;  4,  l)lue  beads  ;  5,  iiiamo 
6,  iron  and  brass  rings  ;  7,  woman's  lip  ornament. 


liLZ    XVAI-    DISCUSSKS    THE    PRKSKXTS. 


To  face  page  i~6. 


THE  POLITE  NUER  277 

frayed,  unsewn  edge  of  his  cloth,  I  turned  it  up 
and  roughly  hemmed  it,  his  face  a  picture  of 
pleasure.  His  words  at  the  finish  were  numerous 
and  politely  intoned,  a  patent  expression  of  grati- 
tude quite  unlooked  for  in  natives,  and  later  I 
was  further  surprised  to  see  him  interviewing  Belal, 
who  explained  that  my  friend  was  anxious  to  know 
if  I  would  stay  till  next  day,  as  he  desired  to 
give  me  a  backsheesh.  My  delight  at  the  out- 
look was  modified  by  uncertainty  as  to  whether 
it  would  have  taken  the  form  of  a  daughter  or 
sheep ! 

This  all  demonstrates  the  existence  of  a  basis 
which  could  be  improved  upon,  a  fact  which  would 
give  one  pleasure  but  for  the  fears  that  enlighten- 
ment may  bring  other  evils  in  its  train  to  replace  or 
add  to  the  indigenous  ones.  The  intellect  certainly 
is  there,  else  why  should  Belal  and  Faragallah, 
brought  up  as  slaves  to  the  Arab,  show  such 
superiority  ? — an  advantage  they  certainly  feel, 
looking  down  on  their  uninitiated  brethren  with 
the  finest  contempt. 

A  further  sack  of  dhurra  was  vouchsafed  to  Buz 
Nyal,  half  of  which  he  placed  on  the  ground  on 
a  spot  hardened  by  water  being  poured  over  it, 
then  assembling  a  dozen  of  the  poorer  women  of 
the  village,  unbecomingly  on  hands  and  knees,  in  a 
circle  round  the  heap.  All  was  still — the  strained, 
intense  quiet  of  the  start  of  the  hurdle  race — until 
Buz  gave  the  word.  Then  were  the  forces  of 
Nature  let  loose  in  a  marvellous  scramble  for  the 


278  "  AHAI  OW  MAZADA  !" 

small,  roundish  grains.  Hunger  and  avarice  im- 
pelled the  poor  hags,  and  their  speed  and  agility 
soon  cleared  the  ground  of  every  trace  of  a  grain, 
the  very  dust  being  raked  up  and  sifted,  that  none 
should  be  lost. 

Then  came  the  finish  of  the  cattle-purchase. 
Buz  Nyal,  having  failed  to  extract  another  sack  of 
dhurra  from  me,  had  a  final  conversation  with  us 
through  Belal,  clinching  matters  by  spitting  once 
more  into  Belal's  hand  and  then  deluging  that 
unfortunate's  face.  Belal  blinked  involuntarily 
during  the  operation,  but  stood  it  bravely,  being 
to  the  manner  born.  Happy  was  I  that  I  had 
brought  him  as  deputy.  Buz  Nyal  ended  up  by 
asking  in  turn  for  my  eyeglasses,  mirror,  and  spy- 
glass, and  refusal  by  no  means  offended  him. 

1  noted  on  the  bank  a  heap  of  briquette  coal, 
which  had  been  there  prior  to  our  first  visit,  and, 
on  expressing  surprise  that  it  was  left  quite  un- 
guarded, I  was  assured  that  it  would  be  perfectly 
safe  to  leave  one's  goods  and  chattels  unattended 
amongst  the  people — they  would  not  be  interfered 
with.  Dishonesty  would  appear  to  attend  the 
march  of  civilization,  for  so  admirable  a  trait  does 
not  endure  long. 

I  had  been  overtaken  here  by  the  Inspector,  who 
had  been  up  an  out-of-the-way  khor,  Nwaznyel, 
for  the  purpose  of  visiting  villages,  and  tumbled 
into  luck  on  the  way.  As  he  passed  by  a  game- 
track  through  a  region  of  grass,  he  was  faced,  at 
about  50  yards,  by  a  bull  buffalo,  which  a  clean 


INSANITY  AND  APPREHENSION  279 

shot  through  the  brain  instantly  dropped.  Great 
was  the  joy  of  the  Nuers,  who  aided  in  cutting  it 
up  and  disposed  of  most  of  its  meat ;  and  the 
servants  having  gone  back  to  the  steamer,  carrying 
some  of  the  meat  and  the  skull,  he  tried  to  persuade 
the  Sheikh  to  accompany  him  also.  Great  was  his 
disagreeable  surprise  to  see  the  effect  of  this  kind 
proposition  ;  for  the  Nuer  immediately  started  to 
waltz  round  him,  jabbing  his  spear  in  a  war-dance 
and  in  dangerous  proximity.  No  amount  of  quiet 
expostulation  had  any  effect,  and  it  became  very 
nearly  a  question  as  to  whether  it  might  not  be 
necessary,  in  sheer  self-defence,  to  shoot  the  raging 
black  devil.  He  was  left  to  his  antics,  and,  on 
explanation  being  asked,  it  appeared  the  poor  fellow 
was  mad,  and  had  got  it  into  his  head  that  the 
Government  of  the  Madhi  had  returned,  and  that 
my  friend's  invitation  was  merely  a  ruse  to  decoy 
him  on  to  the  boat  and  enslave  him.  It  is  an 
illustration  of  how  the  horrid  fear  exists  still,  and 
one  may  marvel,  indeed,  not  at  the  suspicion  and 
shyness,  but  at  the  degree  of  readiness  to  respond 
to  any  kind  of  overture. 

As  our  boat  slowly  drifted  away  from  the  shore, 
our  dark  friends  made  a  last  celebration  of  our 
short  visit.  The  young  men  with  the  clubs  and 
long  spears  rushed  down  the  bank  in  a  war-dance, 
crouching  and  darting  alternately  forward.  JNIaidens 
stood  with  their  arms  round  each  other,  and  a  crowd 
lined  the  river  to  bid  us  good-bye. 

The  journey  downstream  in  my  friend's  boat  was 


280  «AHAI  OW  MAZADA!" 

characterized  by  small  incident,  and  the  sailors  on 
my  own  floating  home  had  the  best  of  it  as  they 
followed  a  few  hours  later,  marking  a  lion  en  route. 

A  fair,  white-eared  cob  was  bagged  on  one  bank  ; 
the  wood  on  the  other  grew  dense,  and  great  herds 
of  tiang  and  waterbuck  grazed  on  the  spaces  be- 
tween. Some  fine  heads  appearing  amongst  them, 
I  landed  to  stalk — a  proceeding  vastly  more  difficult 
where  there  are  numbers  of  animals  rather  than 
few,  as  the  coveted  head  is  usually  in  a  spot  beyond 
the  position  of  others  who  have  to  be  passed. 
They  moved  slowly  on  as  some  saw  me,  covering 
fully  a  mile  ere  they  stopped.  A  low  stretch  of 
bush  favoured,  and  now,  far  from  the  river,  the 
opportunity  came.  I  fired,  and,  hitting  low,  broke 
the  front-leg  of  the  buck,  which  moved  off.  Lying 
quiet — for  I  thought  myself  still  unperceived — I 
awaited  events,  and  was  right ;  for  he  soon  stopped 
again,  and  a  second  shot  then  brought  him  down. 
Hanging  a  piece  of  white  paper  on  a  bush,  I 
returned  to  the  steamer,  and  found  the  men,  replete 
with  buffalo  and  cob  meat,  unwilling  to  trouble 
to  fetch  the  head  in,  the  walk  being  long  in  the 
depth  of  the  forest.  To  my  surprise,  I  perceived, 
on  getting  back,  that  the  crows  had  already  been 
at  work,  having  picked  out  the  eyes  of  the  buck. 

The  days  of  shooting  were  now  coming  to  an 
end,  and  the  most  had  to  be  made  of  remaining 
opportunity  in  a  country  still  replete  with  game. 
Early  in  the  morning  I  saw  specks  against  the 
bush  belt,  which  the  glass  resolved  into  ostriches. 


THE  ACUTE  "MRS.  GRAY"        281 

and  a  large  herd  of  tiang,  that  ungainly  animal 
resembling  a  cross  between  roan  antelope  and 
hartebeest.  For  three  mortal  hours,  with  a  stove- 
hot  south  wind  blowing,  I  stalked  those  wary 
tiang  over  eight  or  ten  miles  of  rough  country  with 
scarcely  any  cover,  never  getting  within  400  yards. 
Deeply  disgusted  and  blaming  myself,  I  rejoined 
my  companion  and  tested  my  shooting  on  a  solitary 
tiang.  I  was  now  too  exhausted  to  properly  stalk. 
At  350  yards  a  bullet  passed  between  his  legs, 
striking  the  ground  behind  him  ;  at  400  yards  the 
same  thing  occurred ;  so  the  chances  of  fate  were 
against  me. 

But  in  the  afternoon,  on  our  debouching  into 
the  White  Nile,  came  the  last  opportunity  to  kill 
"  Mrs.  Gray."  This  sounds  murderous  indeed,  but 
the  crime  was  most  tempting.  She — or,  to  be 
accurate,  he — was  visible  on  the  dry  land,  the 
white  patch  over  the  shoulders  showing  bright  in 
the  distance  against  the  dark  body. 

The  difficulty  which  presented  itself  was  how  to 
land.  First  came  tall  grass  floating  on  the  water — 
the  steamer  ploughed  through  that ;  then  grass 
growing  in  two-feet-deep  water — two  planks  assisted 
me  there  for  a  few  steps  ;  then  I  sank  to  my  knees 
in  water  and  grass-roots,  which  endowed  me  with 
courage,  and  so  I  plunged  onward.  A  section  of 
nearly  dry  land  ensued,  and  I  thought  that  my 
troubles  were  over,  for  a  few  yards  ahead  the  grass 
was  to  all  appearances  burnt  black  and  dry  to  the 
ground.     So  on  went  my  scout  Faragallah,  his  legs 


282  "AHAI  OW  MAZADA!" 

being  longer  than  mine  by  some  feet,  and  soon 
I  discerned  him  in  difficulties.  "  Moya  ketir " 
(Much  water),  called  he  ;  but  "  Mrs.  Gray"  was  on 
the  opposite  side,  and  I  boldly  started  into  the 
morass.  It  was  not  merely  a  bed  of  mud  and 
superincumbent  water,  but  a  network  through  its 
depths  and  above  them  of  tangled  cane-reeds  in  all 
stages  of  burntness  and  rot.  The  caked  black  mass 
on  the  surface  at  first  had  been  hardened  by  the 
sun's  rays,  and  the  feet  sank  but  a  few  inches  into 
the  entanglement.  Then  a  step  or  two  forward, 
and  my  foot  smashed  through  the  crust ;  one  leg 
broke  down  into  4  feet  of  foul  black  water  and 
rottenness,  and  I  found  myself  sprawling  on  all 
fours  in  the  filth,  now  a  little  more  supported 
through  the  less  concentrated  distribution  of  weight. 
The  trouble  now  was  how  to  extricate  one  hand  or 
one  foot  and  place  it  before  the  other,  and  I  thought 
of  the  remarkably  ludicrous  sight  I  must  present  to 
the  binoculars  on  the  steamer,  though,  as  a  matter 
of  fact,  the  good  men  were  somewhat  concerned  at 
my  plight. 

I  felt  my  Ross  monocular  go  under  water,  and 
nearly  lost  my  spectacles,  in  the  course  of  the 
struggle  ;  while,  as  I  extricated  one  hand  to  advance 
it  a  foot,  the  other  sank  deeper,  and,  depressing  my 
head  to  the  surface,  checked  further  movement. 
The  grass  swarmed  with  a  huge  variety  of  red  ant, 
which  made  ferocious  attacks,  and  horrid  beasties 
of  various  descriptions  installed  themselves  on  my 
skin.     How   any   progress   was  made   is   now  in- 


THE  IRONICAL  ANTELOPE        283 

comprehensible,  and  my  mind  is  a  blank ;  but 
struggling  and  floating,  and  pushing  and  wading, 
recklessly  throwing  myself  forward,  clutching  what 
stalks  remained  above  water  and  pushing  them 
under  me,  I  fought  through  the  fifty  odd  yards 
now  intervening  between  me  and  dry  land,  and 
the  'cute  "  Mrs.  Gray."  The  last  10  yards  were  the 
worst  of  the  lot ;  I  sank  up  to  my  neck,  and  went 
almost  under,  my  servant  afterwards  laughingly 
bringing  the  mirror  for  me  to  see  the  black  bits  of 
grass  on  my  teeth. 

Then  I  threw  myself  on  the  ground  while  the 
water  coursed  out  of  pockets  and  breeches,  and  the 
boots  sang  a  squeaky  song  as  my  feet  slipped  about 
in  the  water  they  retained.  "  Malesh  "  (Never  mind) ; 
I  moved  on,  while  "  Mrs.  Gray  "  laughed  to  see  such 
sport  and  moved  on  as  well.  And  so  she  played 
her  game  ;  taking  precaution  to  move  where  the 
grass  was  shortest,  she  kept  me  in  sight  for  want  of 
cover,  and  less  than  400  yards  never  separated 
us.  So,  after  spending  much  time,  thought, 
and  malediction,  in  devising  impossible  methods, 
I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  superlative 
sport  of  "  Mrs.  Gray  "  in  this  region  consisted  in 
witnessing  bipeds  exhaust  themselves  in  the 
depths  of  the  evil  marsh,  then  in  turn  to  exhaust 
their  patience  by  keeping  just  carefully  out  of 
possible  range.  It  really  must  possess  a  ludicrous 
side  and  be  rather  fun. 

So  "  Mrs.  Gray  "  became  not  my  victim,  and  I 
searched  for  a  spot  where  I  might   approach   the 


284  "  AHAI  OW  MAZADA  !" 

river  without  again  undergoing  so  trying  an 
experience.  It  was  found  in  a  Shilluk  meslira 
farther  downstream,  a  tiny  track  through  the 
green,  unburnt  grass,  leading  deeper  and  deeper 
into  the  water.  It  appeared  as  though  1  should 
have  to  brave  the  crocodiles,  and  swim  to  the 
steamer,  which  could  not  approach  very  near, 
when  my  eye  caught  sight  of  the  ambatch 
raft  of  a  Shilluk,  half  hidden  in  the  grass.  This 
consists  of  a  number  of  half-rotten  sticks  of  the  light, 
pithy  wood,  thick  at  the  base  and  tapering  off 
quickly,  thus  lending  itself  well  to  being  tied  into 
a  raft  with  taper  bows  and  a  square  stern.  Joy 
filled  my  breast ;  squatting  on  it,  finding  myself 
seated  in  water  as  the  raft  sank  beneath  me,  with  a 
push  from  the  sailors  behind  I  paddled  my  way  to 
the  steamer,  an  object  indeed.  As  I  left  there 
was  an  ominous  rustle  in  the  reeds,  the  sailors  cried 
"  Timsagh  "  (Crocodile),  and  scattered  like  fluff*  on 
the  breeze. 

Later  on,  in  the  darkness,  came  shouts  from  the 
bank  of  the  river,  and  a  noise  as  if  of  penny  trum- 
pets. This  probably  indicated  a  fight  going  on, 
which  is  not  of  infrequent  occurrence  just  here, 
though  gratitude  for  mercies  vouchsafed  should 
move  the  inhabitants,  inasmuch  as  in  four  years 
their  cattle  possessions  increased  by  no  less  than 
sixty-six  per  cent. 

The  Garden  of  Eden  left  behind — its  serpent  slid 
down  a  tree  as  I  approached  it  one  morning,  and 
entered  the  river — its  inhabitants  were  left  to  the 


A    FAVOURITE    A'lTITUDE. 


GOOD-BVE. 


To  face  page  284. 


WITH  THE  STREAM  NORTHWARD    285 

good  influences  of  firmness  and  sympathy  exhibited 
so  nobly  by  its  Governor. 

Kodok  sHd  back  into  the  past,  and  Renk  gave 
memories  of  the  long  camel  ride  from  the  Dinder. 
Goz  Abu  Guma,  by  Hillet  Abbas,  was  passed  close 
by  the  island  of  Abba,  where  the  Mahdi  spent  the 
early  days  of  his  religious  development,  and  where, 
inland  and  opposite,  is  Um  Debreikat,  the  field 
which  witnessed  the  crushing  of  his  movement 
through  the  death  of  the  Khalifa  and  his  remnant 
of  army. 

Here  the  dhurra-birds  came  in  their  millions,  wee 
creatures  that  had  appeared  on  the  Dinder  in  places, 
and  produced  an  astounding  effect  at  close  quarters. 
In  the  distance  there  is  a  black  cloud  of  smoke, 
rapidly  moving ;  it  advances,  extends,  changes 
direction  and  form  in  bewildering  fashion,  increases 
and  pales  in  its  colour,  condenses  and  thickens, 
twisting  and  twirling  at  speed  vidth  all  the  strange 
movements  of  a  skirt-dancer's  robe.  The  birds  will 
descend  on  a  plantation  of  dhurra  with  all  the 
destructiveness  of  the  locust  pest,  stripping  the 
plants  of  their  grain  in  incredible  time,  with  ruin  to 
those  who  depend  on  it. 

Dueim,  on  the  western  bank,  was  passed  by,  where 
the  Governor's  pier  consisted  of  two  old  whisky 
cases,  a  sunken  canoe,  bottom  up,  a  telegraph-pole, 
and  an  angarib,  and  where  caravans  of  camels 
brought  gum  from  Kordofan. 

Swiftly  the  boat  gUded  down  the  stream  till 
Gordon's   tree    stood    out   on   the   eastern    bank, 


286  "AHAI  OW  MAZADA  !" 

marking  the  spot  of  his  anxious  vigils  ;  then  the 
Blue  Nile  challenged  the  AVhite  for  room  for  its 
waters  which  have  rolled  past  Khartoum,  and 
the  end  came  at  last  with  the  discharge  of  ivory  and 
an  elephant's  ear  which  some  Arab  had  brought 
down  to  mud  Omdurman. 

Here  lived  the  hero  of  the  following  story  given 
me  by  my  friend  on  the  Zeraf,  who  when  resident 
in  Omdurman  possessed  a  young  lion,  which  was 
extraordinarily  tractable,  and  entertained  great 
respect  from  his  youth  upwards  for  the  fist  of  his 
master.  As  he  grew  larger  the  respect  still  remained, 
but  foundation  for  it  diminished  to  vanishing-point. 
As  a  youngster  the  blow  used  to  hurt,  and  Leo 
would  put  back  his  ears,  shut  his  eyes,  and  brace 
his  nerves  for  the  shock.  Not  realizing  that  the 
strength  of  his  master  did  not  increase  pro- 
portionately with  his  own  growth,  he  was  as  scared 
of  the  fist  when  three-quarters  grown  as  he  was 
when  a  baby.  He  had  a  playful  habit  of  waiting 
behind  doors,  or,  on  a  person  walking  along  the 
verandah,  unsuspecting  his  play,  would  jump  out 
on  him  merely  in  fun,  evincing  keen  disapproval  if 
his  intention  were  balked. 

Lions  are  supposed  not  to  climb,  but  if  the  grave 
story  related,  not  on  the  China  seas,  but  on  the 
broad  Nile,  will  hold  water,  my  last  resource  when 
I  see  a  lion  evaporates.  Leo  learned  to  climb,  and 
one  day  when  he  had  scratched  up  a  telegraph-pole, 
and  rested  his  chin  on  the  top,  he  suddenly  caught 
sight  of  his  master.     Panic  seized  him  at  the  idea 


A  REVIEW  287 

of  results  following  interference  with  Government 
property,  and  at  the  thought  of  the  fist,  losing  his 
presence  of  mind,  he  missed  grip  and  slid  with  his 
legs  grasping  the  pole,  and  an  expression  of  agony 
on  his  face,  from  the  top  to  the  bottom,  landing  on 
his  tail  with  a  terrible  bump.  He  was  sorry  for 
himself  for  a  long  time  after,  but  as  a  deputation 
of  influential  inhabitants  of  Omdurman  came  to 
protest  against  his  continued  residence  at  large, 
and  threatened  an  evacuation  of  the  city  by  its 
40,000  inhabitants  as  an  alternative,  he  had  to 
console  himself,  and  recover  under  unwelcome 
restraint. 

Returned  to  the  centre  of  government,  a  glance 
back  may  not  come  amiss.  The  Sudan  covers  a 
vast  area,  and  presents  a  remarkable  diversity  of 
problems,  differing  with  the  various  conditions  of 
the  provinces. 

Dongola  is  rich,  and  as  settled  as  a  province  of 
Lower  Egypt ;  Khartoum  has  the  unique  charac- 
teristic of  being  the  old  centre  of  Mahdism,  with  a 
neighbouring  city  of  Arabs  mainly  hostile  at  heart, 
regretful  of  the  old  slave  days  and  their  enormous 
percentage  of  profit ;  it  is  a  country  where  thousands 
of  sheep  and  goats  can  be  seen  watering  at  the 
river. 

There  is  the  Blue  Nile  province,  rich  in  possi- 
bilities when  irrigation  is  taken  in  hand,  and  where 
Mahdism  has  since  recrudesced ;  and  that  of  Sen- 
naar,  once  with  its  Abyssinian  question,  and  highly 
advanced  in  actual  rather  than  relative  progress, 


288  "AHAI  OW  MAZADA  ! " 

having  had  the  advantage  of  particularly  practical 
and  intelligent  administration  :  the  Arabs'  pro- 
ductive powers  have  been  encouraged  with  success, 
and  the  home  of  an  old  civilization  is  being  re- 
vived after  the  desolation  and  depopulation  of  the 
past  thirty  years. 

Then  comes  the  Upper  Nile  province,  where  the 
problem  is  vastly  different,  being  one  of  instructing 
the  negroid  element  from  the  beginning,  rather 
than  the  semi-cultivated  Arab ;  a  gaining  of  the 
confidence  of  native  barbarians,  and  the  mastery  of 
their  laws  and  customs ;  ruling  through  native 
laws  where  possible,  and — what  is  new — enforcing 
the  judgments.  Moreover,  the  endeavour  is  made 
to  insure  intertribal  peace  among  a  turbulent 
people,  to  relieve  districts  stricken  with  famine  by 
means  full  of  wisdom,  to  educate  gradually  peoples 
who  as  yet  are  little  beyond  the  level  of  animals. 

In  the  Mongalla  province,  until  recently  part  of 
the  Upper  Nile  province,  there  is  the  "  Lado 
Enclave"  and  the  Congo  Free  State  adjoining, 
requiring  judgment  and  tact,  unexplored  and 
barbarian  regions  to  the  east,  and  the  broken- 
down  remnants  of  the  great  Bari  race  to  revive. 

Westward  is  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal,  with  its 
enormous  difficulties  in  imhealthy  climate  and 
superfluity  of  swamps,  bounded  by  the  great 
forests  of  the  Congo,  and  with  great  possibilities 
in  rubber  and  timber. 

Kordofan,  with  its  combination  of  much  trade 
in  the  north,  and  warlike  races  in   the  gebels  of 


BRITAIN'S  TASK  289 

the  south,  the  centre  where  the  slave  trade  dies 
hardest,  adjoins  the  province  of  Darfur,  which 
has  relapsed  into  native  conditions  of  rule  since 
Gessi  fled  from  revolt,  and  is  governed  by  a 
nominal  tributary  until  railways  develop  and  com- 
munication is  rendered  more  easy,  which  is  now 
within  sight. 

Every  year  sees  progress,  and  the  extension  of 
the  railway  over  the  Blue  Nile  and  up  to  Sennaar, 
with  the  bridging  of  the  White  at  Hillet  Abbas 
for  the  tapping  of  Kordofan,  tightens  the  grip  of 
the  white  man  for  the  welfare  of  the  country. 
I  have  seen  something  of  the  work  done  by  the 
Governors  and  Inspectors  of  various  provinces, 
and  can  speak  in  nothing  but  terms  of  admiration 
of  the  whole-hearted  devotion  to  the  highest  and 
best  interests  of  their  charges.  There  is  no  mere 
perfunctory  discharge  of  administrative  duties,  but 
a  forceful,  intelligent,  personal  mastery  of  every 
condition  and  each  individual  problem,  a  pains- 
taking grasp  of  detail,  a  masterful  grip  where  the 
master  is  needed.  One  is  impressed  by  the  intense 
personal  interest  that  is  displayed,  and  the  amount 
of  hard  work  voluntarily  undertaken  in  a  climate 
where  no  man  passes  long  unscathed,  under  con- 
ditions of  life  which  are  at  the  best  difficult,  and 
often  entail  great  hardship  and  exhausting  exertion, 
both  mental  and  physical. 

Khartoum,  with  all  its  varied  responsibilities  for 
the  general  conduct  of  the  country  as  a  whole, 
with  its  social  constellation,  its  pleasant  residences, 

19 


290  '  AHAI  OW  MAZADA!" 

garden-suiTOunded,  and  its  touch  with  the  exterior 
world,  has  much  to  be  grateful  for  in  having  the 
services  of  men  who  courageously  bear  the  burden 
and  heat  of  the  day  in  the  wilds,  many  of  whom 
have  for  years  lived  in  grass  huts,  travelled  vast 
distances,  often  carrying  their  lives  in  their  hands, 
and  have  grappled  with  difficulties  conquered  and 
disposed  of  long  before  reaching  the  ears  of  the 
central  officials. 

Khartoum  and  the  Sudan  generally  were  placed 
on  broad  and  sound  lines  by  Lord  Kitchener,  and 
some  of  the  men  in  responsible  positions  are  even 
yet  those  who  went  through  the  arduous  work  of 
the  war.  With  these  the  working  out  of  Kitchener's 
lines  in  their  detail  has  rested  in  the  past,  and  who 
can  say  they  have  failed  in  their  demonstration  of 
the  quality  of  the  work  which,  of  all  nations,  it  is 
ordained  that  Great  Britain  shall  do  ? 

That  those  who  are  following  on  may  be  imbued 
with  the  same  methods  of  thoroughness,  and  will 
show  the  same  self-sacrificing  earnestness  and 
practical  intelligence  which  have  characterized  the 
pioneers  of  administration  here,  will  be  the  securest 
guarantee  for  a  successful  solution  of  the  un- 
doubtedly serious  problems  which  confront  the 
rulers  of  this  heterogeneous  population  and  difficult 
land. 


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INDEX 


A. 

Aakox.  22 

Abba  island,  285 

Abdallah  Bin  Said,  29 

Abdel  Kader  Pasha,  39 

Abdullah  (servant),  41 

Abdullah.     See  Khalifa 

Abel,  161 

Abel-Mizraim,  149 

Abid,  41,  53,  74,  83,  93.  249 

Aboriginals,  148-9 

Abu  Hashim,  44,  46,  48,  78 

Abu  Ooruf.     See  Roan  antelope 

Abu  Ramleh,  86.  116,  121,  134 

Abu  Salib,  historian,  22 

Abu  Simbel.  22,  28 

Abu  Sin,  170 

Abyssinia  : 

highlands  of,  12,  111 
borders  of,  14,  32,  86,  99,  115-7 
mission  in,  28 
invasion  through,  31 
Fungs  and.  30,  38 
waterways  from,  120,  200 
strangers  in,  122 
natives  in  Fashoda,  179,  189 
Egyptians  and,  32 
Acacias,  49,  50.  76 
Achmet  Khalil,  48 
Adam,  161-2,  234,  265 
Adansonia  digitata.    See  Tebeldi-tree 
Adultery,  260 
Afghanistan,  Ameer  of,  26 
Agadi.     See  Gebel 
Agate,  150 
Agriculture.  118 
Ahmed  Wad  el  Makashef,  38 
Aigel  fish,  157 
Ajiung  village,  240 
Albert,  Lake,  201 
Alexander  the  Great,  24 
All,  camel  Sheikh,  99 
Ali  AVad  Piahma,  slaver,  210,  220 
Almuna.  29 


Amara.  25 
Amara  Dunkas,  31 
Amasis  I.,  19 
Ambatch,  159,  166,  284 
Amen-Ra,  27 
Amen-Tarit,  Queen,  25 
Amer,  Nuer,  219 
American  Mission,  200 
American  officers,  32 
Amraphel,  161 
Anti  tribe,  19,  26,  30 
Antimony,  19 
Ant-hills  (termites),  114 
Ants.  89,  237,  282 
Anuaks,  80,  154-5 
Apes,  78 
Arab  character,  6,  90 

influx,  149,  153 

invasion.  7,  29 

eating  powers.  246 

language,  231 

daughters  of,  106 
Arabia,  Southern.  23 
Architectural  landmarks.  40 
Ardeb-tree.     See  Tamarind -tree 
Ariel  gazelle,  54.  76 
Armlets,  ivory.  172,  270 
Arrows,  150 

Ash,  cowdung.     See  Cowdung 
Asia.  16,  148.  151 
Asiatic  Ethiopians,  150 
Assuan.    20,    22,    23,    28,    29,    149 

202 
Assyria.  20,  21,  23 
Asua  River,  199 
Atbai  district,  12,  14 
Atbara  River,  13,  201 
Atlantic  Ocean,  13 
Atwot  Dinkas,  266 
Augustus  Cffisar,  25 
Australia,  152-4,  267 
Austrian  Mission,  194 
Awoi,  221-4 
Axum,  16.  28 
Azande  tribe.  30 


291 


19—2 


292 


IN  THE  TORRID  SUDAN 


B. 


Baboons,  78,  137 

Babylonian  laws,  161 

Bacliit  Abdullah,  41,  107,  110,  127 

Badi-el-Ahraar,  31 

Badi-el-Shilluk,  31 

Baggara  tribe,  8,  187 

BaliMri  (sailor),  173 

Bahr  el-Abiad.     See  White  Nile 

Balir-el-Aslar.     See  Sobat 

Bahrel-Aziak.     See  Blue  Nile 

Bahr-el  Gebel.     See  Mouutain  Nile 

Bahr-el-Ghazal.    5,   8,    13,    15,   153, 

190,  200-1,  288 
Bahr-el-Zeraf,   120,    158,    201,   202, 

209  ct  seq. 
Baker,  Sir  Samuel : 

extends  Sudanese  territory,  32, 
210 

on  the  Rahad,  47,  59 

shooting,  66 

Sudan  in  days  of,  120 

and  "  cow  "  fish,  133 

and  Baris,  155 

in  Tewfikieh,  197 

and  elephants,  199 

and  ostriches,  275 
Bamba  tribe,  267 
Banjo,  Nuer,  270 
Bantu,  24,  152 
Baobab.     See  Tebeldi-tree 
Barabra  tribe,  8,  149,  150 
Bari  tribe,  152,  154,  155, 158,  267,  288 
Bark  of  trees,  57 
"Basil  Effendi,"  106-7 
Baskets,  native,  254 
Basutos,  193 
Bats,  97,  186,  237 
Bayuda  desert,  8 
Beads,  184,  256,  271,  275,  276 
Bees,  40,  88,  186 
Beetles,  237 
Beit-el-Wahash,  80 
Belal,  Nuer  interpreter,  222,  253-8, 

275-7 
Belgian  posts,  175 
Bell -frogs,  238 
Berber,  14,  15 

Berberi  servants,  68,  103,  137 
Berta  tribe,  138,  151 
Bied  Uz,  268 
Biltong,  69 

Birds,  51,  61,  88,  136,  165,  207,  232 
Biscuits,  271 
Blacksmith,  native,  134 
Blackwater  fever,  134 
Blenimycs,  26,  27,  28 
Blood-hnes,  226 
Blue  Nile,  13,  14,  129,  184 


Blue  Nile,  water-supply  from,  5,  201 

gold  on,  24 

Fungs  on,  30 

sport  on,  34 

at  Singa,  37 

and  Binder,  44 

elephants  on,  46 

at  Roseires,  133,  135 

junction  with  White,  286-9 

province,  287 

railway  over,  289 
Bongo  tribe,  8,  148 
Book,  ancient,  of  Nubce,  28 
Boomerang,  138,  151 
Boots,  mosquito,  35 
Bor,  84 
Bows,  150 
Bread,  58,  204 
Brcvedent,  Father  de,  31 
Bricks,  196 

British  Museum,  29,  147 
Bruce,  32 

Budge,  Dr.  Wallace,  Preface,  24 
Buffalo,  52,  65,  70,  73,  75,  90,  278 
Building,  196 
Burial-places,  Nuer,  261 
Burun  tribe,  154-8 
Bushmen,  147,  159-4 
Bustard,  249 

Butcher's  shop,  Arab,  183 
Butter,  204,  264 
Buz  Nyal,  Sheikh,  274-7 
Buzzard,  88-9,  236 


Cailliaud,  32 

Cain,  161 

Cairo,  3,  149,  180,  210 

Cambyses,  23 

Camel,  8,  37,  41,  69,  92,  105-6,  134, 

143 
Camel-drivers,  43,  74,  99,  135,  140 
Camei-a,  163 
Canaan, 149 
Canaanites,  21 
Candace,  Queens,  24,  25 
Cannibal  lady,  170 
Canoe,  167,  241,  263-6,  284 
Cartridge-cases  as  currency,  271 
"Catecherak  "  bird,  51 
Caterpillars  as  food,  245 
Cattle,   8,  187,  241,   254,  265,    273, 

284 
Caucasian  race,  148,  151 
Ceremony  at  Kwoin,  274 
Chalklike  body-paint,  152,  162 
Ciiildren,  Arab,  164,  178 
Chili,  effect  of,  214 
Christian  era,  23,  24 
Christianity  in  Sudan,  25,  27,29,  30-1 


INDEX 


293 


Civet  cat,  96 

Climate.  49,  53,  180 

Coal,  164,  278 

Cob,  white-eared,  280 

Colour  differences,  150 

Colouring  of  body,  152 

Concert,  an  animal,  238 

Congo  Free  State,  12,  113,  153,  230, 

288 
Constantinople,  32 
Cook,  35 

Cookery,  58,  98,  204 
Copts,  28-9 

Cordite,  effect  of  heat  on,  127 
Corn,  264 

Corpses,  mummified,  181 
Corrugated-iron  houses,  156 
Cotton,  5 
Cotton  soil,  51,  70 
"Country  of  the  Blacks,"  2,  16,  153 
Cowdung,  use  of,  160,  212,  254,  269 
Cow's  urine,  use  of,  160,  242 
Cowes,  199 
Cowries,  162,  275 
Cranes,  61,  207,  232 
Cream  of  tartar,  104 
Crickets,  92,  136,  237 
Crocodiles,  37,  59,  60,  62,  63.  71,  98, 

111,  124,  156,  188,  245,  250,  284 
Crows,  51,  61,  280 
Crusades,  wars  of,  29 
Currency,  197 
Cush,  19,  21,  148 
Cushi,  21 

D. 

Dadabhai  Naoroji,  22 
Dance,  native,  160 
Dance,  Nuer,  270 
Darfur,  8,  14,  30.  32,  289 
Dates,  8 
Dead  Sea,  12 
Deir-el-Bahari,  19 
Deleb  palm,  166 
Deng  Dit,  220,  231,  261 
Deng  Lakar,  220 
Depopulation,  39.  48,  78,  120 
Der^'ishes,  3,  120,  179,  200 
Dhurra,  43,  47-8,  84-6,  157,  187, 190, 
204, 239, 241,  265,  273,  275, 277,  285 
Dhurra  l)irds,  285 
Diluka  (native  dance-feast),  159 
Diuder,    36,    44,    86,    99,    113,   123, 

139,  158,  206   285 
Dinka  tribe.  154,  160 

eyesight  of.  110 

Birabashi,  119 

area  of  influence,  155 

character,  158,  162-3 

hippo-hunt,  167 


Dinka  tribe,  Mecca  of,  209,  222,  261 

lying  tactics  of,  209 

and  slavers,  220 

01  section,  220 

Khor  Filus,  209,  227 

corn-crushing,  264 

words,  267 
Diocletian,  26-7 
Diodorus,  152-3 

Diu,  Slieikh,  220,  221,  224,  240,  261 
Divers,  207,  232 
Divorce,  179 
Dog-flesh,  30 

Dougola,  13,  15,  20,  28,  31,  149,  287 
Dougolese,  8 
Donkey,  35,  77,  81-4 
Drainage  area  of  Nile,  12 
Dressof  Nuers,  183,  243 
Dried  meat,  48,  69,  75 
Drinks,  48,  53,  87,  92,  99,  104-9 
Duck,  236,  264 
Dueim,  15,  285 
Duk,  223 
"Dun  cow,"  239 
Durraba,  47-8,  75,  99 
Dynasty  I.,  16 

IV.,  16 

VI.,  17 

XL,  17 

XII.,  17,  18 

XV.,  18 

XVII.,  18 

XVIII.,  18,  28 

XXIII.,  20 

XXIV.,  20 

XXVI.,  23 

XXVII.,  23 

E. 

Eagles,  207 

Earliest  human  mummy,  147 

Ebony,  19 

Edfu,  ancient  book  found  at,  28,  29 

Education,  5,  174,  288 

Eggs,  90-4,  245,  250,  266 

Egrets,  232 

Egypt,  20,  147,  201 

Egyptian  employes,  180 

Egyptian  soldiers,  205,  228,  252 

Egyptians,  ancient,  7, 149,  151 

Ein-el-Shems,  81 

El  Darner,  15 

El  Obeid,  15 

Elephants  : 

ancient  hunts,  25 

on  Blue  Nile,  45 

tusks  of,  46 

and  fruit,  50 

footprints  of,  45,  51,  53,  59,  72 

cleverness  of,  66,  83  e^  seq. 


294 


IN  THE  TORRID  SUDAN 


Elephants — coiitinued : 

an  illusive,  94 

a  rogue,  134 

breaking  trees,  165,  208 

Baker's,  199 

in  the  "sudd,"  203 

numbers  of,  230 

wounds  Nuer,  268 
Equatoria;  32,  210 
Ereif  el  Dik,  71 
Erithrea,  12 
Esau,  262 
Esneh, 119 
Esperanto,  45 

Ethiopian  Kings  of  Egypt,  21 
Euphrates,  19,  147 
European  employment,  4 
"Eve,"  153,  162-3,228,234 
"Evil  eye,"  85,  163 
Evil  spirit,  262 

Expectoration,  sign  of  friendship,  278 
Eyesight,  native,  110,  124,  129,  144, 
247 

F. 

Fadl  el  Mullah,  41,  50-6,  63,  106-8, 

110 
Famine,  187,  246,  256,  288 
Faragallah,  Dinka  sailor,  247,  281 
Faragallah,  Nuer  interpreter,  253, 277 
Farag  Effendi  Abu  Zet,  154 
Fashoda.     See  Kodok 
"  Father,"  native  words  for,  267 
Figs,  wild,  110 
Fireflies,  237 
Fires,  164-5 
Firewood,  164,  228,  252 
Fish,  37,  98.  133,  155,  157,  158,  171, 

183,  236 
Fish-eagles,  98.  208 
Flies  (see  also  Seroot),  186-7,  242 
Flora,  109,  122 
Fowls,  African,  95 
Franciscan  friars,  31 
Frankincense,  17 
French  Revolution,  3 
French  Sudan,  12,  181 
Frogs,  92 
Frontiers,  11,  12 
Frumentius,  28 
Fumigation,  96 
Fung  tribe,  30.  151,  243 
Fung  dynasty,  30,  32,  38,  142 


G. 


Galcgu,  Khor,  48,  83,  86 
Galegu,  Sheikh  of.  86,  90 
Gambela,  200 
Game  restrictions,  67 
Gatacre,  General,  200 


Gaweir  province,  219,  226,  240,  262 

Gebel  Agadi,  137.  142 

Gebel  Ein,  231 

Gebel  Gerri,  132 

Gebel  Gule,  139,  142 

Gebel  Maganou,  131 

Gebel  Magnun.  127 

Gebel  Zeraf,  203 

Gedaref,  99 

Geese,  208.  236 

Geheua  tribe,  39 

Genesis,  149,  161 

Genet  cat,  96 

Geographical  features,  11 

Gesem  (Goshen),  150 

Gessi  Pasha,  289 

Geteina,  29 

Ghayassa,  195,  204 

Ghezireh,  5,  14,  30,  36,  201 

Gilbert,  W.  S.,  245 

Girhas,  129,  135 

Giraffe,  79,  80,  104,  208,  230 

Gleichen,  Preface.  29,  150 

Gloves,  35,  101 

Goats,  92,  254,  287 

Goats'  skins,  129 

Gold,  16,  17,  24 

Gondokoro,  191.  195,  197 

"  Gong  Up,"  268 

Gordon,  3,  32,  93,  119,  285 

Goshen,  150 

Gourds,  74,  86 

Government,  method  of,  161 

Goz  Abu  Guma,  33,  285 

Grass,  188,  281 

Grass  fires,  33,  49.  64,  164-5 

Grasshoppers,  237 

Gray's  Waterbuck,  Mrs.,  75,  281 

Great  Britain,  3 

Greeks,  5,  146.  182,  249 

Grinding  corn,  204,  264 

Grogan.  210 

Guinea-fowl,  57,  103.  136-9 

Gum  arable,  19,  49,  56-7,  285 

Gum-trees,  57 

Gunboat,  134 

H. 

Hair  on  body,  269 

Hairdressing.  138.  172,  242,  274 

Ham,  21,  148-9 

Hameg  tribe,  32,  142,  151,  243 

Hammurabi,  161 

Hands,  white,  101 

Harlyn  Bay,  neolithic  man  at,  147 

Harpoons,  8,  168 

Hartebeest,  100 

Hashab-tree,  49 

Hatshepset,  Queen,  19,  28.  138 

Heat,  74,  121,  143,  151,  199 


INDEX 


295 


Hebrides,  Dr.  Johnson  in,  107 

Heglig-tree,  49,  50 

Height,  great,  152,  155,  159,  268 

Heiligen  Kreuz,  195 

Heleii,  152 

Herodotus,  23,  149,  150-2 

Hezekiah,  20,  21 

Hides,  17 

Hillet  Abbas,  36,  140,  285-9 

Himyaritic  race,  23,  149 

Hippopotamus,  59,   61,    62,   67,  70, 

167-8,  188,  190 
History,  11,  235,  244 
Honesty  of  Nuers,  278 
Honey,  53,  87 
Honey-bird,  88 
Horses,  8 
Hospital,  175-6 
Hottentots,  147,  150 
Houses,  156 
Huts.     See  Tukls 
Hysena,  70,  136,  184,  262 

I. 

Ibis,  232 

Ibrahim,  41,  44,  78,  94,  107 

Ibrahim  Pasha,  32 

Idris  Wad  Regab,  Sheikh,  142 

Ingassana  tribe,  137,  151 

Insect  world,  104 

Inspector  {mafatish),  46,  263 

Ipsodorse,  152 

Iron,  8 

Iron,  corrugated,  156 

Iron  Age,  160 

Irrigation,  195,  201 

Ismail  Pasha,  32,  38 

Israelites,  21 

Itch,  with  Abyssinians,  179 

Ivory.  17,  19,  85.  226,  270 

J. 

Jacob,  149 

Jekang  province,  262 

Jerboa,  139 

Jerusalem,  20,  25 

Jesuits,  31,  194 

Johnson,  Dr.,  107 

Johnston.  Sir  H.    H..    Preface,    32, 

150-1 
Josephus,  22 
Judah,  20 
Jur  tribe,  8,  148,  154 

K. 

Kantarow,  53 

Karroo,  4 

Kassala,  14,  15,  32,  39,  99,  187 

Kauri  gum,  245 


Keili,  142 
Kenisa,  195 
Kensetin  tribe,  19 
Khalifa,  3,  19,  33,  78.  285 
Khamisa,  44 

Khartoum.    13,    44,    99,    122,    170, 
289 

Gordon  at,  3 

province  of.  15 

and  Punt,  19 

fall  of,  33,  39 

supplies  at,  34 

and  Zobeir,  93 

and  slave  trade,  118,  287 

embankment  at,  197 

Nuers  at,  218,  224 
Khedive,  32 
Khor  Agaliin,  45 
Khor  Abu  Ramleh,  123 
Khor-el-Seneil,  76 
Khor    Filus,    158,    209,    220,     224, 

262 
Khor  Galegu,  48,  83-6 
Khor  Nwaznyel,  278 
Khor  Semsir,  100 
Khor-um-Asal,  108 
Kingfishers,  207 
Kisra,  204 

Kitchener,  Lord,  33,  290 
Kites,  61,  88 
Kittir  bush,  144-6,  166 
Knoblecher,  Father,  195 
Kodni,  226 

Kodok  (Fashoda),  15,  20,  158,  205, 
218,  285 

Marchand  at,  12 

appearance  of,  171 

sacred  tree  at,  180 

Nuer  at,  270 

Hospital,  176 
Koleydozo,  King,  29 
Kordofan,  15,  288 

Nuhas,  8,  149 

rainfall,  14 

Fungs  in,  30 

Egyptian  conquest,  32 

gum  in,  56,  285 

tebelditree  in,  166 

black  hy?ena,  185 
Kudu,  123-6 
Kugoor,  220,  222 
Kuk-tree,  49 
Kul  (Kool),  247 
Kush.     See  Gush 
Kwoin  meshra,  247,  253,  263-5 

L. 

Lado  Enclave,  197,  230,  288 
Lak  province,  220,  262 


296 


IN  THE  TORRID  SUDAN 


Lakes.  2,  12,  153,  201 

Lai  ah  fruit,  50 

Landscape,  African,  49 

Language,  Nuer,  267 

Lau  province,  225,  262 

Laws,  Diuka,  161 

Laws,  Nuer,  259 

Leopard,  53,  60,  105,  137 

Lepsius,  25 

Life,  uncertainty  of  native,  182 

Libyan  adventiirei's,  153 

Lion,  53,  141,  231,  241,  251 

differing  character  of,  46 

at  night,  53 

lair  of,  54 

and  donkeys,  77,  81 

and  girafie,  79 

roar  of,  82,  92,  103,  111 

baby,  115 

takes  a  man,  144 

stalks  a  Birabashi,  206 

Nuer  word  for,  267 

and  telegraph-pole,  286 

and  Faragallah,  248 
Lip  ornament,  Nuer,  243 
Lizards,  186 
Lobengula,  58 

Looking-glasses  and  natives,  235,  256 
Lul,  194 

Lupton  Bey,  body  of,  181 
Lur  tribe,  267 
Lyam  Tu  Tiaug,  224 


M. 


Machar  Diu,  Sheikh,  219,  224 

Macrobii,  23 

"Magnun"  (mad),  256 

Magnun  Gebel,  127 

Mahdi,  2,  19,  32,  33,  38,  39,  77,  99, 

279,  285-7 
Mahomet,  151 
Maize,  187,  246 

Maldufa  (camel  saddle),  35,  121,  130 
Malaria,  4,  103 
Mantis,  237 

Marabout  stork,  61,  89,  170,  207 
Maori  haka,  270 
Marakh,  166 
Marchand,  12,  174-9 
Marid  rock,  144 
Mark,  St.,  27 
Market,  172,  182 
Marshes.     See  Swamps 
"  Mary  Ann,"  204,  234,  237 
"M'lry  Jane,"  234 
Mashonaland,  18,  31,  40,  113,  171, 

212-5,  266 
Ma-on-wasps,  40 
Matabele,  216 


Matrimony,  177,  257,  260 

Matting  as  carpet,  35 

Maya,  70-3,  100,  108 

Mecca,  184 

Mecca  of  Dinkas  and  Nuers,  209, 221 

261 
Medicine,  48,  99,  100,  176 
Mehemet  Ali,  38 
Mehrdi  Abu  Rof,  39 
Mek  of  Shilluks,  185 
Melon,  86 
Melut,  163 

Memphis,  16,  17,  20,  23 
Mena,  St.,  28 
Menthuhetep  IIL,  17 
Merissa,  48,  139,  191,  273 
Meroe,  22,  23,  24,  25,  30-1,  152 
Merowe,  15,  20 

Meshra  (landing-place),  192,  247,  284 
Midianites,  22 
Migration,  habits  of,  151 
Milk.  152,  242,  264,  273 
Mimosa,  74 
Miriam,  22 

Missionaries,  31,  195,  200-1 
Mizraim  (Musr).  149 
Mohammed  (Defterdar),  32 
Mohammedanism,  29,  31 
Mombottu  tribe,  148,  267 
Mongalla,  288 
Monkeys,  105 
Monomotapa,  18 
Monuments,  18,  20,  23  et  scq. 
Moon,  Arabic  for,  163 
Mosquitoes,  35,   104,  156,  161,  236, 

242, 264 
Moses,  22 

"  Mother,"  native  words  for,  267 
Mother-of-pearl,  123 
Mountain  Nile,  15,  190,  200 
elepliant  on,  45,  84 
"sudd,"  63,  237 
rhinoceros,  113 
Dinkas  on,  158,  266 
bat  V.  lizard,  186 
mission  on,  195 
"  Mountains  of  the  Moon,"  26 
Mrs.  Gray's  Waterbuck,  75,  281 
Mud,  196,  212 

Mule,  35-7,  43,  108,  130,  140 
Mummy,  147 
"Murder!"  269 
Musk,  96 

Musr.     See  Mizraim 
Mustapha,  41.  68,  103,  106 

N. 

Nabbuk  fruit,  49,  50 
Nagaa,  24,  25,  28 
Names,  Nuer,  268 


INDEX 


297 


Nandi,  152 

Kapata,  18,  20,  26,  29,  31 

Ktisamouians,  153 

JVywv,  steamer,  163 

Nationalist  movement,  9 

Native  suffrage,  214 

Negi-oid  or  negro,  7,  17. 118, 137, 148, 

150,  151,  153,  158,  283 
Neolithic  man,  147 
Nero,  26,  153 
New  Guinea,  159 
Kiaoiv,  264,  275 
Nigeria,  40,  181 
Night  in  Africa,  36,  91,  236 
Night  travelling,  136 
Nile.     See  Blue  Nile 

course,  13,  202 

flood.  200 

See  Mountain  Nile 

tributaries,  13 

Yellow.     See  Sobat 

See  White  Nile 
"  Nili  Paludes,"  26 
No,  Lake,  190,  201  9 
Noah's  Ark,  133,  205 
'  Nobatae.     See  Nuba? 
Noir  du  Roule,  M.  le,  31 
Nubas,  8,  149,  150-1,  181 
Nubffi,  26,  28,  30 
Nubia,  19 
Nuers,  154,  176,  204,  234 

Diodorus  on,  152 

relation  to  Dinkas,  etc.,  158 

canoe,  166 

hideousness  of,  245 

at  Kodni,  240 

cattle,  265,  273 

cattle-huts,  242 

hairdressing,  242 

hippo-pits,  244 

physique,  252,  268 

trading  with,  254 

friendly  reception  by,  255,  269 

and  mirror,  257 

marriage  ceremony,  258 

dislike  to  raiu,  226 

widows,  259 

burial,  261 

Mecca,  261 

deity,  261-2 

districts,  262 

butter  and  corn,  264 

milk,  273 

intelligence,  266,  277 

language,  269 

names  of,  267 

dance,  270,  279 

ornaments,  270,  274 

banjo,  270 

food,  272-3 


Nuera  ceremony.  273,  278 

politeness,  276 

honesty,  278 

insanity,  256,  279 

salutation,  255 

pipes,  273 

teeth  of.  242,  254,  268 

■villages,  247 
Nuggars,  171,  199 
Numbers  xi.  1,  22 
Nur  Bey,  39 
Nyam-nyam,  170 
Nyassa,  Lake,  12 

O. 

"Ode  to  Discord,"  238 

Officials,   excellent  work  of,  9.  212, 

289.  290 
Ohrwalder,  Father,  39 
Oil,  50 

Omdurman,  15,  39,  181,  286 
Optical  illusion,  114 
Oribi  gazelle,  52,  72 
Osman  Digna,  39 
Ostrich,  275,  280 
Oxen.     See  Cattle 

P. 

Palm-trees,  114 

Papyrus,  63 

Partridges,  109 

Pasteur  filter,  99 

Pelicans,  251 

Pepi  L,  17 

Perfumery,  96,  106 

Petronius.  25 

Phallic  worship.  151 

Philip,  25 

Phut,  ancient  region  of,  149 

Piankhi,  King,  20,  23,  24 

Pig-flesh,  30,  73 

Pigmy  races,  16.  147-9,  150-3 

Pigmented  skin.     See  Skin 

Pipes,  194,  273 

Pirrie,  Dr.,  159 

Pliny,  152 

Pods,  tebeldi,  110 

Police,  121,  223 

Policy.  Government  native,  213 

Politeness,  native,  198,  276 

Poncet,  31 

Pondo  girl,  24 

Population.  120,  157,  194 

Port  Sudan,  14,  164 

Prayers,  184 

Precious  stones,  17 

Preparations  for  travel,  33 

Presents  to  Nuers,  275 

Priests  of  Napata  and  Thebes,  20-7 


298 


IN   THE  TORRID  SUDAN 


Primitive  customs,  151 
Productions  of  country,  5 
Provinces,  Nuer,  262 
Psammeticus  I.,  23 
Ptolemy,  geographer,  26 
Ptolemaic  period,  24-5 
Punt,  Land  of.  19,  138,  149,  151 
Pyramids,  17 
Pythons,  230 

Q. 

Queens  of  Meroe,  24-5 
Quinine,  104 

R. 

Races,  7 

Race  hatred,  219 

Rahad  River,  44-7.  59,  73 

Rakuba,  121 

Railways.  14,  164,  289 

Rameses  II.,  21 

Raw  tit-bits,  108 

Red  earth  as  body-paint,  150,  152 

Red  Sea,  11,  14, 19,  28, 138,  151,  164 

Reed-buck,  53-9,  89,  97 

Regent's  Park,  lions  at,  115 

Religion,  6,  151,  184,  261 

Renk,  129,  134.  144-5,  156,  157,158, 

170 
Reserve,  ofBcers'  game.  140 
Reservoirs,  artificial.  140 
Rhinoceros,  113-4 
Rhinoceros,  white,  113 
Rhodesia,  49,  57-8.  88. 114.  126,  137, 

242 
Rifle,  -303,  forbidden.  35 
Rings.  Nuer,  274 
Roan  antelope,  74,  89,  102,  111,  112, 

114,  123,  127,  130.  281 
Robin,  African,  44 
Romans,  26,  28.  145 
Rope,  bark,  camel-hair.  42,  166 
Roseiros,  38,  129,  131-2 
Rubl)(a-,  5.  15,  166 
Russell,  Rev.  Dr.,  169 

S 

Saddle-billed  stork,  207 

St.  Mark,  27 

Sakkara,  17 

Saki.'h,  117 

Saladin,  29 

Salisbury.  Lord,  22 

Salt.  8,  184 

Salutation,  Nuer,  255 

Sam  r- tree,  166 

Sandals,  63,  171,  193 

Sand-flies,  186 

Scars  on  natives'  backs,  128,  139 

Scotland,  49 


Seligmann,  Dr.,  159 
Selim,  Sultan  of  Turkey,  31 
Selim-el-Aswam,  historian,  22 
Semites.  152 
Semneh.  18,  19 
Seneca.  26 
Seneferu,  16 
Seunaar,  207 

province,  15.  287 
Fung  capital,  30,  38 
Poncet's  journey,  31 
Egypt  V.  Abyssinia,  32 
Gule,  town  of.  142 
forest  fires  in,  165 
progress  in,  287 
i-ailway  to,  289 
Sennacherib.  20 
Seroot  fly,  163-9,  186,  231 
Servants,  35,  176,  205 
Shabataka,  21 

Shackleton,  Lieutenant,  246 
Shadoofs,  195 
Sheep,  183,  256 
"Sheikh,"  63,  191 
Sheikh,  privileges  of,  261 
Shem,  22 
Shendi,  38 
Shepherd  Kings,  18 
Shereef,  shikari,  100,  110 
Shikaris,  35,  55,  110 
Shilluks,  16,  154,  168 
taxpaying,  20,  191 
hunters,  76 
adornment,  152,  172 
height,  155 
character,  173-4 
Egyptian  conquest,  179 
woman,  181 
and  hippo,  189 
at  Tewfikieh,  197 
widows,  259 
corn-crushing,  264 
pipes,  273 
meslira,  284 
Shuli  tribe,  154 
Silko,  Christian  King,  28 
Sinaitic  peninsula,  22 
Singa,  15,  36,  49,  71,  95-9.  140,  154, 

184 
Skin,  roughness  of  Nuer.  242 
Skin,  pigmented,  62,   121,  151,  159, 

272 
Slavery  posts,  116 
Slaves,  17,  116.  257 
Slave-traders,  9.  116,  219,  289 
Snakes,  102,  229,  233,  265,  284 
Soba,  25,  28,  29,  30 
Sobat  River,  13,  80,   140,   158,  199, 

201-9,  219 
Social  amenities,  257 


INDEX 


299 


Soda,  139 

Solomon,  a  Nuer,  276 

Somaliland,  46,  147,  151 

Song  of  hippos,  238 

Song,  war,  Nuer,  222,  225 

South  Africa,  1,  2,  4,  46,  154,  214 

Spears,  8,  80,  152-9 

Sportsmen's  adventure,  190 

Stephens,  James  Bruntou,  Queensland 

poet,  258 
Stork,  158-9 
Strabo,  152 

Sudan,  French,  12.  181 
Sudanese  soldiers,  9,  17 
"Sudd,"  26,  63,  199,  211,  237,  256 
Suffrarji,  35 
Sugar,  271 
Suk,  the,  182,  191 
Sun,  light  and  heat  rays,  121 
Sunt-tree,  49,  166 
Surgery,  native,  176 
Swamps,  15,  66,  154,  170,  197,  209, 

281 
Swords,  138 
Syene,  25 
Syria,  12 


Tafa,  22-3 

Taharq  (Tirhakah),  21-3 

Talh-tree,  49,  57,  106 

Tamarind-tree,  86,  106 

Ta-Nehesu,  2,  16,  153 

Tanuath-Amen,  23 

Taxes,  191,  218,  226 

Tchad,  Lake,  181 

Teal,  208,  236 

Tebeldi-tree,  38,  50,  104,   106,  109, 

131-2,  166 
Teeth  of  Nuers,  242,  254,  268 
Telegrajih-poles,  146,  166 
Temples,  25 
Tents,  34 
Termites,  40,  114 
Tewfikieh,  173,  191,  195,  197 
Tharbis,  Princess,  22 
Thebes,  17,  19,  20-3 
Theodora,  Empress,  28 
Thorns,  42.  74,  144 
Thotmes  III.,  19 
Tiang  antelope,  90,  280-1 
Tiang  province,  262 
Tiberius  II.,  26 
Ticks,  43,  52-6 
Timber,  15,  17,  49,  164-6 
Tobacco,  273 

ToiThif,  Sheikh,  221,  268 
Tolodi  girls,  193 

"To-morrow,  to-morrow,"  135,  191 
Tora  hartebeest,  100 


Toro  tribe.  New  Guinea,  159 

Transvaal,  57,  73 

Travel,  difficulties  of,  58,  71,  131 

Tree,  Shilluk  sacred,  180 

Tsana,  Lake,  15 

Tsetse  fly,  169 

Titkls,    121,    137-8,    146,    157,    194, 

232,  242 
"Turk"   (any  pale-face),   120,   218, 

223.  225 
Twi  Dinkas,  158,  210,  220-6 

U. 
Uauat,  19 
Uganda,  12,  207 
Um-bil-bil,  48,  273 
Um  Debreikat,  33,  285 
Underclothing,  red  or  black,  121 
Upper  Nile  province,  15,  214,  288 
Urine,  cow's,  use  of.     See  Cows 
Usertsen  III.,  18 
Uz  Kir,  268 


Vegetation,  51,  73,  156 
Victoria  Nile,  201 
Victoria  Nyanza,  12,  201 
Villages,  Nuer,  247 
Vultures,  89,  170 

W. 

Wad-el-Hag,  77 

Wad  Medani,  44 

Wad  Mustapha,  59 

Wady  Haifa,  18,  22-8,  39 

Walking,  146 

Wart-hog,  72,  95,  100.  107 

Wasps,  186 

Waterbuck,  70,  97,    107.    134,    205, 
229,  231,  280 

Waterskius.     See  Girhas 

Water,  smell  of,  145 

Water-supply,   4,   12,  99,    131,   137, 
156,  166,  171 

Watts's  picture,  "The  Birth  of  Ex- 
perience," 243-4 

Wau,  15 

"We  beseech  Thee  to  hear  us,  good 
Lord,"  274 

Wellcome  Research  Laboratory,  Pre- 
face 

Werne,  explorer,  210 

Western  Sudan,  40 

Weule,  Dr.,  148 

White-eared  cob,  206 

White  Nile,  46-7,  170,  200 
buffalo  on,  66 
journey  to,  123,  129,  146 
fish  in,  157 
hunting  incident  on,  180 


300 


IN  THE  TORRID  SUDAN 


White  Nile,  "Mrs,  Gray"  on,  281 

railway  across,  289 
' '  Who  are  you  ?' '  51 
Wild  animals,  19 
Wives  and  -widows,  Nner  and  Shil- 

luk,  260 
Wood-asli,  161 
Woll  Diu,  224-5,  261 
Woman  in  the  Sudan  : 

not  for  paradise,  106 

Diodorus  on,  153 

water-carriere,  156,  171 

at  work,  178,  241 

Abyssinian,  187 

voice  in  affairs,  219 

Nuer  dress,  243 

lip-skewer,  243 

and  the  chili,  244 

and  mirror,  256 

matrimonial  value  of,  257 


Woman  in  the  Sudan — continued : 

Nuer  and  Shilluk  widows,  259 

making  butter,  264 

crossing  gangway,  266 

habits  of  Nuer,  268 

Nuer  choir,  273 
Woods    and     Forests     Department, 
164-5 

Y. 
Yemen,  23,  149,  151 

Z. 

Zambesi  Valley,  113 

Zariba,  144 

Zephaniah,  21 

Zeraf  River.     See  Bahr-el-Zeraf 

Zimbabwe,  18,  31,  40 

Zi})porah,  22 

Zobeir  Pasha,  93.  119 

Zulus,  219 


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